Yu-5 torpedo

Yu-5 (鱼-5) torpedo is the first wire-guided torpedo developed by China. It is an ASW torpedo designed for conventional diesel-electric submarines. It is often erroneously referred as the Chinese copy of Soviet TEST-71 torpedo, which is completely wrong because the Soviet torpedo was developed in 1971 and its successor TEST-71MKE was developed in 1977, at the worst time of Sino-Soviet split. With Yu-5 entering Chinese service in 1989, it was simply impossible to acquire any technologies of Soviet TEST-71 torpedo, which was not purchased by China in 1993, four years after the Yu-5 torpedo had already entered service.

China had begun to explore the wire guidance technology for torpedoes in the early 1960’s but due to the political turmoil in China, the research stopped like many other Chinese research programs. With the progress of Yu-3 torpedo developmental program, Chinese military realized that an ASW torpedo was needed for its conventional diesel-electric submarine fleet in addition to the ASuW torpedo under development (Yu-4 torpedo). As a result, Yu-5 torpedo was developed, and it was decided to utilize the wire guidance technology.

The development of Yu-5 torpedo begun around the same time of Yu-4 torpedo in the early 1970’s, but due to the backward of the Chinese technological and industrial base, the initial tests of wire guidance was carried out by using steel wire instead of copper wire, just like when it was done more than a decade ago in the late 1950’s. The propulsion development of Yu-5 torpedo benefited greatly from the US the Mark 46 torpedo recovered by the Chinese fishermen for the Otto fuel II research and then some technological supports for license production of Mk 46 Mod. 2 torpedo in China of the 1985 deal signed between two countries. Other unconfirmed reports have claimed that during the development of Yu-5 torpedo, advanced American and Japanese commercial off-the-shelf technologies at the time were used, and incorporating these advanced commercial technologies was part of the reason of the prolonged development, which lasted almost two decades. In fact, Yu-5 torpedo program started around the same time with Yu-4 torpedo program but the latter was completed earlier. Another reason for the prolonged development was the Yu-5 was used as a test vehicle for newer technologies for later torpedoes such as the Yu-6 torpedo, for example, optical fiber wire guidance had been tested on Yu-5 torpedo since 1986 (However, although the tests were considered somewhat satisfactory, it was not adopted for Yu-5 torpedo, which used the traditional copper wire). The Yu-5 torpedo was finally accepted into the service in 1989 and the series production begun the next year in 1990. The torpedo is initially guided by wire guidance for most of the time, and at the final stage, the guidance is changed to active / passive acoustic homing guidance,and the active / passive acoustic homing guidance would also automatically kicks in when the wire is accidentally severed before the final stage.

pecification

*Diameter: 533 mm
*Length: ≈ 8 m
*Warhead: 209 kg
*Guidance: active / passive acoustic homing + wire guidance
*Propulsion: Otto fuel II
*Range: Up to 30 km
*Speed: Up to 50 kt (attack speed)
*Depth: > 400 m

Modifications

At least two modifications of Yu-5 torpedo have been completed since it was accepted into the Chinese service, with one completed in the summer of 1995, and another in 1998. However, due to the very limited information released, it is not known what modification was completed in which year. The modifications included incorporation of ASuW capability, updated electronics, and capability of being able to be used as part of CAPTOR mine type mine system.

References