A bomb to bust the deepest bunkers

Eurekalert | New Scientist ^ | 7/13/05 | David Hambling

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think this puppy has Little Kim's name on it.

[injin]

"The Russians have had such a torpedo since the 1990s: called Shkval"

this is very bad news....I hope we have developed them too.
China is known to be buying these.

[jwh_Denver]

"because something traveling that fast can't turn very fast."

With all the friction? I think it could turn on a quarter. But torpedoes are designed to hit ships or subs which can't turn that fast either.

The downside of this torpedo is that it would one noisy SOB with all the cavitation and could be tracked down by another torpedo using sound to locate and destroy it before it hits a ship.

[SampleMan]

I also like the concept of bringing 20,000 pounds in from orbit. As Jane's pointed out a few years back, "American air power now stands second, only to the wrath of God." I love that quote.

[Little Ray]

The downside of the torp is that it can't use any homing gear while supercavitating. It would have to slow to down to look for the target, or else be fired like an unguided bullet.

[reagan_fanatic]

"American air power now stands second, only to the wrath of God."

I get chills down my spine just reading that. Awesome.

[SampleMan]

downside of this torpedo is that it would one noisy SOB with all the cavitation and could be tracked down by another torpedo using sound to locate and destroy it before it hits a ship.

Hit a 200 mph torpedo? Good luck. This torpedo wasn't designed to home on anything. It was/is a last ditch self-defense weapon for SSBNs. You do the math on what they are going to put inside for a warhead. I'm betting on a really big boom just outside of the lethal range of the shooter.

[LibWhacker]

I love that quote.

Me, too, thanks! Going in my quote file.

[Still Thinking]

The Russians have had such a torpedo since the 1990s: called Shkval, it can travel at 360 kilometres per hour. We used them in Afganistan. They are unsuitable for use in urban invironments, which is where most of the Iraq battles took/take place.

Then the supercavity torps don't work on land! ;-)

[dhuffman@awod.com]

SENATOR Kennedy?

[Ancesthntr]

As Jane's pointed out a few years back, "American air power now stands second, only to the wrath of God." I love that quote.

Yes, but a rather distant second...which is OK, as long as we only have to mix it up with those further down the list than we.

[X. OTerica]

H-m-m-m.

I'm no expert but perhaps they are borrowing from shaped charge technology. It might be a two-phase device with the first "charge" (could even be non-explosive compressed gas) creating the "bubble" for the warhead that carries the second-phase explosive.

The "bubble" wouldn't have to last long - at over 180 kph it's going to dig a hole pretty quickly.

[jpsb]

IP 16 inch shell (Iowa class BB) would penetrate 160' reinforced earth. Bring back the battleships!

[El Gato]

Russians have had such a torpedo since the 1990s: called Shkval, it can travel at 360 kilometres per hour

A 180 knot torpedo? Remind me to stay out/off of the water.

[freeangel]

Good morning Iran and North Korea!

[El Gato]

I still want to know why we havent used any of the MOABs. Why build them if we arent gonna have some fun with them?

Because we only built a very few prototypes, and didn't even test drop all of those. Not really a real useful weapon anyway, except for the intimidation factor. (Shock and Awe squared).

[El Gato]

This would seem to be a rather tricky weapon to use, because something traveling that fast can't turn very fast

It doesn't need to turn very fast. By the time you know it's coming, you don't have time to move out of the way enough to matter.

[jwh_Denver]

I don't think supercavitation would stop radar.

[El Gato]

It seems that the German Bunker Building Engineers beat our Bunker Buster Development Engineers in the Battle of Saddam's bunkers.

What makes you think that? It was Saddam's movement scheme that defeated our intelligence collection. He moved faster than we could find out where he was. The bunkers that were targeted were busted, AFAIK.

[righttackle44]

"And by all accounts, destroys the submarine trying to fire it."

Is it made by the Acme Torpedo company, by chance?