Some Limiting Characteristics of ASW Weapons

Antisubmarine warfare weapons are discussed with respect to target properties, the kinds of vehicles which launch the weapons, and the various restrictions, military and oceanographic, on their design. Weapon forms now include mines, depth charges, homing torpedoes, rockets, and helicopters. Among important postwar developments are wire guidance, weapons with air trajectories, nuclear explosives, and improved acoustic homing heads. Among existing problems are the slow speed of sound in water, the difficulty of achieving long ranges and high underwater speed with conventional power plants, and the great ability of submarines to evade and countermeasure.