Shipbucket

Someone I know keeps going on and on about how subsurface CIWS could be used to defeat torpedoes. Is such a system even possible? Could something like an underwater phalanx be built?

All I know of are Nixie torpedo decoys, but they're not an active kill mechanism but rather just a distraction for the torpedo.

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In principle, there's no reason that an active-kill antitorpedo system couldn't work (although the viscosity of water implies that any plausible system would have more in common with RAM than Phalanx). However there are a huge number of incredibly challenging engineering problems associated with such a system, and it's not obvious that that is the most worthwhile to spend research money.

Active torpedo defence is an area that western navies kind of go silent on. They're not secret just not talked about that much hoping everyone thinks they just have Nixie. The latest (4th) this Torbuster which adds an explosive charge to Sea Scutter/Lescut (3rd gen). Previously Scutter would steal all the torpedos energy but the latest generation of torpedos were programmed to ignore any target after an unsuccessful first pass. So the charge ensures the torpedo is taken out on the first pass. These decoys are launched from the ship's chaff launcher or in submarines from the hull.

www.rafael.co.il/marketing/SIP_STORAGE/FILES/7/997.pdf

In May 2001 Scientific American did an article on supercavitating underwater weapons. This was in the wake of the Kursk disaster.

The likeliest culprit for the explosion aboard the Kursk, was the propellant explosion in a Shkval rocket torpedo. A likely extrapolation to a future use of supercavitating projectiles was for a below-waterline gun turret firing supercaviting cannon rounds for active-kill torpedo and mine defense.

The US Navy has even done basic research on such cannon rounds as part of the Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System. RAMICS consists of an optronic turret with a blue-green laser to calculate the refraction of the water to provide a proper aimpoint for the side firing 30mm cannon, all mounted on a Seahawk. The ammo for the 30mm gun were required to not shatter on impact with the water and maintain its velocity while it travels to the target mine. Part of the research was conducting static firing test for the ammo from tower mounted gun to a shallow target. From the results I have seen (found through Google a few years ago) the rounds perform pretty well.

There's also the MU90 Hard Kill.
Unlike the other systems mentioned here, this is an honest to god torpedo built to intercept other torpedoes.
I'm not sure on the exact state of development, but supposedly its close to deployment state.

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Nixie has been proven to be succesfull 6/10 tests that have been done before fit on nl ships (read that in the maps with information about nixie because i had to. Its for weapon techs people)
What nixie does is creating a massive sound underwater far away from the mothership. And tries to attract the torpedoe with it.
If this doesnt work. A 2nd nixie might will. And otherwise... Meh i hope i will never know
Current days a new system from thales is under tests.
Im departing this year with the amstel who has the system.
I heard its called Lectas or levitas. Whatever.
We are going to test it with torpedoes from submarines.
But this system is a passive and active listener and a 3rd distract option.
It is planned to replace the tactas.

These 2 systems are the only systems i know for anti torpedoes.
For the rest i know is when shooting underwater.
The bullets slow down. And are less effective.

You better use underwater grenades instead. More chance! Haha

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Yeah, MU90 and Mk48/53 have a built-in secondary anti-torpedo defense. This would be analogous to using missiles like SM-2/3 to shoot down other missiles.

The RBU series is claimed to have a nonzero hard-kill anti-torpedo capability. How much greater than zero is not clear.

Yes, New Scientist carried such an article about the same time, underwater turrets for ships etc. Sounded more than a bit far-fetched at the time, still does now.

Best defence is to destroy the submarine at longer-ranges so it can't open fire with torpedoes.

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