The smash hit supercavitating torpedo

The supercavitating torpedo that was a smash hit

Most people born after the Cold War have a hard time understanding the 1970s and early 1980s when the Soviet military was at its strongest. Global strategic psychological pressure. Beginning in the mid-1970s, the United States was completely defeated in the Vietnam War and was forced to carry out strategic contraction for more than 10 years; it was unable to suppress the Soviet Union. At the same time, the Soviet Union relied on a huge nuclear arsenal that could match the United States as its basic strategic support. The economy is completely tilted towards the military industry. The world is beginning to see a face-to-face struggle for hegemony with the United States. On the east and west sides of Eurasia, the former Soviet Union had millions of soldiers. There are more than 50,000 main battle tanks and supporting armored vehicles on each side; and the total number of armored vehicles has reached an unprecedented number of more than 100,000. The former Soviet Army also summarized the experience of the Soviet-German war and pursued the theory of rapid assault by large-depth heavy armored groups. Be prepared to rely on a large number of tactical nuclear weapons to clear the way; then the steel torrent will quickly follow. The fantasy is to break through hundreds of kilometers in a day and night. In just 2 weeks, you can penetrate an opponent to a depth of more than 1,000 kilometers.

Faced with the tactics and actual intentions of this large-depth offensive breakthrough supported by real strength. Regardless of opponents from the European continent or the Asian continent, the pressure can be imagined. Under the psychological pressure of this comprehensive disadvantage. Coupled with the closed nature and information asymmetry of the Soviet Union itself. As a result, many legends that seem quite strange today were produced. The performance of Soviet weapons and the real national power of the former Soviet Union were artificially greatly exaggerated. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many secrets have been revealed. Most legends can only be laughed off. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, a large number of people at that time believed it to be true. And some of these mythical legends are not limited to Asia. Even in Western Europe, where the economy is more developed, there are many people who firmly believe it. For example, there was a legend at the time: Because the Soviet Union focused on producing weapons all year round, Soviet engineers could transform any vehicle into a military machine overnight. For example, it only takes no more than 10 hours to transform a crawler tractor into a Soviet main battle tank. Others say that the Soviet Union has developed a new type of hydrogen bomb.

This kind of hydrogen bomb is not only powerful when it explodes, but its effects after the explosion are even more terrifying. Because it can quickly cool the explosion area to minus 100 degrees Celsius, all people and animals in the nuclear explosion area will be quickly frozen into popsicles. It seems now. These claims are of course nonsense. But it was no joke at the time. To a large extent, it was just a psychological strengthening under the huge military pressure of the Soviet Union. Therefore, even in the early days after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the former Soviet Union's sales of various weapons to foreign countries experienced a super dividend period that was rare in a century. To a large extent, it also suffered from the inertial impression of the former Soviet Union's deterrence. For example, the supercavitating torpedo, which was once a smash hit, was also included in the range of "Soviet-style artifacts" that outsiders considered available for purchase at the time. Legend has it that this torpedo can travel at speeds of up to 100 meters per second underwater. Due to its super speed, it cannot be defended by any means. Once locked by such a torpedo, any ship or submarine can only sit and wait for death. After the Cold War, it was sold to many countries in East Asia and the Middle East. As a result, after actual test firing by all parties, they found that the effect was not as amazing as the legends in the past. The ultimate underwater speed of 100 meters per second is about the same. But because it has a cavitation generator on its head. Therefore guidance sonar could not be arranged.

The excessive underwater speed causes this torpedo to go almost straight, and it will break itself if it yaws slightly. The actual effective range is no more than 5 kilometers. Therefore, the actual use can only be to fight with a bayonet at close range underwater; and it is a one-time deal. As a result, it quickly disappeared after all kinds of tout, and almost no navy equipped it in batches. But Langshan personally thinks so. The supercavitating torpedo itself is a rocket-assisted torpedo. If the rocket-assisted stage is allowed to fly hundreds of kilometers in the air and then plunge into the water to attack the underwater part of a large surface ship, it will be really difficult to defend. Because the distance of 7 to 2 kilometers is exactly the terminal interception zone for the 10,000-round cannon on the aircraft carrier and the close-in defense missiles such as Searam. If this section is approaching quickly in the water, there is really no good way to intercept it so far. However, how to make it strong enough not to crash when it plunges into water while flying at high speed may be the biggest technical difficulty.