Yu-2 torpedo
Encyclopedia
ASUW
ASUW may refer to:*Associated Students of the University of Washington*Associated Students of the University of Wyoming*Anti-Surface Warfare...
RAT-52 torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
with passive acoustic homing capability added. The historical background of Yu–2 is identical to that of Yu-1 torpedo
Yu-1 torpedo
Yu-1 torpedo was the first Chinese built steam powered torpedo, it was a development of the unguided straight-running Soviet ASuW Type 53 torpedo. It was type classified in September 1971. The Yu-1 was actually the second domestically produced torpedo to enter Chinese service, the first was the...
and Yu-4 torpedo
Yu-4 torpedo
Yu-4 torpedo is the Chinese development of the Russian SAET-50 ASuW passive acoustic homing torpedo, and it is the Russian SAET-50 torpedo incorporating active acoustic homing guidance...
. Contrary to the higher number assigned, Yu-2 torpedo was the first Chinese domestically produced torpedo entering service, ahead of the Yu-1 torpedo
Yu-1 torpedo
Yu-1 torpedo was the first Chinese built steam powered torpedo, it was a development of the unguided straight-running Soviet ASuW Type 53 torpedo. It was type classified in September 1971. The Yu-1 was actually the second domestically produced torpedo to enter Chinese service, the first was the...
.
Background
In August 1958, the deputy chief-of-staff of PLAPeople's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
Zhang Aiping
Zhang Aiping
Zhang Aiping was a Chinese communist military leader.-Biography:...
and the deputy commander-in-chief of PLAN
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
Luo Shunchu led a military delegation to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and signed a deal with the Soviets to produce three types of torpedoes in China. In comparison with other military programs, each with dozens or even hundreds of Soviet advisers, the total number of Soviet advisers initially sent to China for these torpedo programs was just five. The Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
quickly delivered the samples and technical information for the three types of torpedoes to China with the five advisers as promised. Two Soviet advisers were assigned to assist China to produce the RAT-52 rocket-powered torpedo at No. 123 Factory, while others were assigned to teach the Chinese about compressed-oxygen powered torpedoes and SAET-50 acoustic homing torpedoes. In July 1960 the first two samples of Chinese-built rocket propelled torpedoes were completed. The type 920 electrical propulsion system and electronics of the passive acoustic homing torpedo had also been completed, while the basic technologies of compressed oxygen torpedoes were also mastered by the Chinese.
The subsequent Sino-Soviet split
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
ended the promising future; from July 28 to September 1, 1960, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
had quickly withdrawn all of its advisers from China. Compounding the problem were domestic political turmoils, such as the Great Leap Forward
Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward of the People's Republic of China was an economic and social campaign of the Communist Party of China , reflected in planning decisions from 1958 to 1961, which aimed to use China's vast population to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a modern...
. The 7th Academy consequently ordered the 705th Research Institute to lead a team consisting of No. 724 Factory, Pinyang Machinery Factory (平阳机械厂) in Houma, Shanxi
Houma, Shanxi
Houma is a city in the Shanxi province on the People's Republic of China, on the Fen River south of Linfen. It is 274 km large and has a population of 102,400....
, and East Wind Instrumentation Factory (东风仪表厂) in Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
to indigenously manufacture Soviet designed compressed-oxygen powered torpedoes.
In 1962, Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Nie Rongzhen
Nie Rongzhen
Nie Rongzhen was a prominent Chinese Communist military leader, and one of ten Marshals in the People's Liberation Army of China. He was the last surviving PLA officer with the rank of Marshal.-Biography:...
ordered resources to be concentrated on achieving the goal of fielding “two boats and a torpedo”. The two boats were a torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
and a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, the torpedo being classed as a heavy torpedo of 533 mm diameter.
In July, 1962, researchers at 705th Institute concluded that compressed-oxygen powered torpedoes were unsafe. After numerous accidental explosions, they were rarely used by either the Soviet or Chinese navy. Chinese researchers recommended steam-power instead, and in the following year PLAN
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
issued an order to first develop a steam-powered torpedo, and then the electrically powered acoustic homing torpedo.
Though the Yu-2 torpedo was not part of this project, due to its earlier commencement, it did benefit from it. One of the two torpedo factories China had set up in the 1950s was assigned as the primary contractor for the Yu-2. However, due to the political turmoil in China, the development of Yu-2 torpedo was subject to several changes. It was ultimately decided to develop two elements in parallel projects. The first project developed the unguided version of the torpedo. The second project developed micro-electronics for the acoustic-homing guidance package. When both were completed the two projects would be merged together.
Development
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
torpedo in 1954 and accumulated considerable experience in maintaining and handling the torpedo. With Soviet assistance in July, 1960, the first two examples of Chinese-built rocket propelled torpedoes were completed. Despite the Soviet withdrawal of technical assistance, a planned torpedo test was carried out in November, 1960 at Lushun. The result, however, was disappointing; not only that the test failed, one of the two torpedoes immediately sank upon entering water. Since China lacked any elaborate torpedo testing ranges the cause could not be determined. The development of Yu-2 torpedo was put on hold.
In 1964 the development of the Yu-2 torpedo resumed in China in No. 374 Factory. From July to September, 1969, a total of 24 torpedoes were test fired with satisfactory results, with speeds reaching 70 knots and ranges in excess of 1km in water. From March to April, 1970, another 39 torpedoes were test fired.
Like the Yu-1 torpedo
Yu-1 torpedo
Yu-1 torpedo was the first Chinese built steam powered torpedo, it was a development of the unguided straight-running Soviet ASuW Type 53 torpedo. It was type classified in September 1971. The Yu-1 was actually the second domestically produced torpedo to enter Chinese service, the first was the...
the Chinese micro-electronics industry was not capable of producing the passive acoustic-homing guidance package called for in the original specification. However, also like the Yu-1 torpedo
Yu-1 torpedo
Yu-1 torpedo was the first Chinese built steam powered torpedo, it was a development of the unguided straight-running Soviet ASuW Type 53 torpedo. It was type classified in September 1971. The Yu-1 was actually the second domestically produced torpedo to enter Chinese service, the first was the...
the unguided version was pressed into service as the Yu-2. The acoustic homing version would come years later.
Two Yu-2 torpedoes could be carried by a Ilyushin Il-28
Ilyushin Il-28
The Ilyushin Il-28 is a jet bomber aircraft of the immediate postwar period that was originally manufactured for the Soviet Air Force. It was the USSR's first such aircraft to enter large-scale production. It was also licence-built in China as the Harbin H-5. Total production in the USSR was 6,316...
or a Nanchang Q-5
Nanchang Q-5
The Nanchang Q-5 , also known as the A-5 in its export versions, is a Chinese-built jet ground-attack aircraft based on the Soviet MiG-19. Its main role is close air support.-Design and development:...
. In comparison to the Soviet RAT-52 torpedo it was based on, the Yu-2 torpedo had twice the range in water but its warhead was 40 kg lighter. The speed of the Yu-2 torpedo is 40 / 70kt as opposed to the 58 / 68kt of Soviet RAT-52 torpedo.
Soviet researches have shown that a total of 8 direct hits of the RAT-52 torpedo would be enough to sink a 50,000 ton aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
. However, due to advances in naval air defenses, it was increasingly difficult for aircraft to come within weapons range of a target. The Chinese solution was to reduce the altitude of the approaching aircraft and attempt to postpone detection long enough to reach weapons range. However, RAT-52 torpedoes could not be dropped at low altitude. The Chinese solved this problem by incorporating additional control surfaces and modifying the winglets at the tail of the torpedo. Despite being now able to be dropped at very low altitude, incorporating passive acoustic-homing guidance, and having longer range underwater, Yu-2 torpedoes were obviously not suitable for modern warfare. Chinese research suggested that 8 direct hits on a 50,000 ton aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
was still able to guarantee the sinking, but under the intense air defense and acoustic countermeasures, a minimum of 58 Yu-2 torpedoes would have to be dropped. This in turn would require that a minimum of 29 aircraft successfully penetrate the fleet air defense. By 1984 all airdropped version of Yu-2 torpedoes were withdrawn from service.
Modification
Production of new Yu-2 torpedoes ceased a long time ago, however thousands of Yu-2 torpedoes are undergoing conversion to mines as a coastal defense weapon. Newer electronics have been continuously adopted to upgrade the guidance. In the coastal defense role Yu-2 torpedoes have also been modified to launch from vehicles and fixed shore batteries and as part of the CAPTOR mineCAPTOR mine
The CAPTOR is the United States Navy's primary anti-submarine naval mine. This deep-water mine is laid by ship, aircraft or submarine, and is anchored to the ocean floor. When its sonar detects a hostile submarine, the CAPTOR launches a Mark 46 torpedo.The name CAPTOR is short for enCAPsulated...
type mine system.
Specification
- Diameter: 450 mm
- Length: 4 metre
- Weight: 627 kg
- Warhead: 200 kg
- Guidance: passive acoustic homing
- Propulsion: solid rocket
- Range: 5 km in air, 1 km in water.
- Speed: > 70 kt
- Depth: N/A, ASuWASUWASUW may refer to:*Associated Students of the University of Washington*Associated Students of the University of Wyoming*Anti-Surface Warfare...
torpedo