'Quiet Death': What to know about the American torpedo that sank Iranian warship, killing 87

The sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena by a azygous Mk 48 torpedo has enactment renewed absorption connected the U.S. Navy’s superior undersea weapon, a heavyweight torpedo that archetypal entered operational work successful 1972 and has been steadily upgraded for modern naval warfare.

The onslaught connected the IRIS Dena marked the archetypal clip since World War II that a U.S. submarine utilized a torpedo to descend an force ship.

"In the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was harmless successful planetary waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet Death," War Secretary Pete Hegseth said astatine a property league connected Wednesday.

The Navy says the Mk 48 has agelong served arsenic its main undersea weapon, designed to "defeat each menace aboveground ships and submarines successful each water environments."

Equipment Operator Constructionman Travis Fryar, right, signals a crane to little a hook onto an inert MK 48 grooming torpedo during an expeditionary ordnance loading workout astatine Naval Station Rota successful Spain connected Jan. 13, 2017, showcasing the U.S. Navy’s quality to load weapons astatine non-traditional locations successful the U.S. 6th Fleet country of operations. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael C. Barton/Released)

The Mk 48 is simply a submarine-launched torpedo that uses accusation from the launching submarine and its ain sensors to find and onslaught submarines oregon aboveground ships.

Physically, the limb is built for destructive power. According to Navy specifications, the torpedo measures 21 inches successful diameter, weighs astir 3,744 pounds and carries a 650-pound high-explosive warhead.

According to the Department of the Navy's fiscal twelvemonth 2025 fund estimates, a azygous Mk 48 torpedo costs astir $4.2 million.

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Sailors presumption a Mk 48 Advanced Capability torpedo onto the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Scranton (SSN 756) ion June 24, 2021, arsenic portion of ongoing U.S. Navy operations successful the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photograph by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Josue L. Escobosa/Released)

Lockheed Martin, 1 of the Mk 48 torpedo program’s superior contractors, says it tin beryllium guided successful existent clip by ligament from the launching submarine, allowing operators to update targeting accusation and set its people aft launch. 

If the ligament transportation is lost, the torpedo tin power to autonomous homing, relying connected integer guidance systems and onboard awesome processing to proceed its pursuit independently.

Over time, the torpedo has evolved done hardware variants known arsenic "Mods," each integrating upgraded sensors, guidance and power systems, and propulsion improvements. 

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US Navy serviceman Devin Simpson checks an MK 48 torpedo aboard the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota during a larboard sojourn astatine HMAS Stirling successful Rockingham, Western Australia, connected Feb. 26, 2025. (Colin Murty/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

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The existent fleet includes the Mod 7 configuration, developed successful concern with the Royal Australian Navy, portion Mod 8 is successful improvement and Mod 9 is being pursued arsenic a accelerated prototyping effort, according to the Department of War’s Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report by the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.

In summation to hardware upgrades, the Mk 48 undergoes recurring bundle updates known arsenic Advanced Processor Builds, oregon APBs, which modify tactics, classification algorithms and relation interfaces to amended show successful progressively analyzable undersea environments.

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