The US Navy's first new torpedo in decades

[RCSubGuy]

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...do-in-decades/

• The U.S. Navy's new Very Lightweight Torpedo (VLWT) will be both an offensive and defensive torpedo.
• The torpedo can attack submarines or torpedoes.
• Unlike previous lightweight torpedoes, the VLWT will be used by aircraft, surface ships, and submarines.

[redboat219]

So small. Wonder if you could fit 3-6 of them into one of the existing torpedo tubes.

[CC Clarke]

This would be a tactical waste of space when stowed within a torpedo tube, (even as a multiple round) compared to a MK-48 (there's no replacement for displacement) or a cruise missile. For submarines, this is a nice defensive weapon and insurance policy when countermeasures aren't enough, but offensively, it doesn't pack a large enough punch to waste a torpedo tube on.

From one of the links cited:

“The submarine force recognized that having this very capable torpedo on a submarine would allow them to increase the weapons load without impacting the size of the torpedo room, because this weapon will fit into the six-inch launcher devices.”

[redboat219]

Reminds me of the debate between the 100 round per second firing minigun using 7.62 mm rounds and slower firing M2 Ma Duece with 12.7mm rounds.