In 19FortyFive, the Russian high-speed torpedo VA-111 “Squall” was called a nightmare of the US Navy
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The Russian high-speed torpedo VA-111 “Squall” is a nightmare of the US Navy, according to Kyle Mizokami, a columnist for the American publication 19FortyFive.
This weapon, capable of developing speeds of up to 200 knots underwater, is called in the publication one of the most innovative ever developed in the USSR. The author recalls that the torpedo was able to develop such a speed due to its movement in a cavitation cavity – a water vapor-filled area of space between the torpedo and seawater.
The observer notes that the disadvantages of the VA-111 “Squall” were high noise, low maneuverability and difficulties with the guidance system. According to the author, currently Russian submarines are the only ones in the world equipped with such weapons. Similar developments, according to Mizokami, are underway in the USA and Germany.
In November 2017, Academician Shamil Aliyev said that after modernization, the world’s fastest torpedo VA-111 “Squall” will remain unmanageable, while its maximum speed will increase. According to the scientist, currently the product is able to descend to a depth of up to 25 meters, but the task is to bring this parameter to 100 meters.
