A244-S Explained

A244-S Torpedo
Origin:	Italy
Type:	Lightweight ASW torpedo
Is Ranged:	y
Is Explosive:	y
Is Missile:	y
Service:	1982
Manufacturer:	Leonardo
Weight:	254kg (560lb)
Length:	2.75m (09.02feet)
Diameter:	324mm
Range:	13.5km (08.4miles)
Max Range:	6 km for Mod. 1, 13.5 km for Mod. 3
Filling:	high explosive STANAG 4439 and MURAT-2 compliant
Filling Weight:	45kg (99lb)
Detonation:	various
Engine:	contra-rotating direct-drive brushless electric motor
Propellant:	AgCl-Mg battery
Depth:	600 m
Speed:	30/39 kn [16/20 m/s]
Guidance:	active / passive acoustic homing
Steering:	CIACIO-S seeker
Launch Platform:	Vessel / aircraft / helicopter

The A244-s is an Italian lightweight, fire-and-forget torpedo employed for anti-submarine warfare. It can be launched from surface vessels or aircraft and locates the target using an acoustic seeker.

Description

The torpedo uses a CIACIO-S seeker, consisting of an acoustic homing head containing the transducer assembly, transmitter, and related Beamforming circuits, and a frame housing all the remaining electronic components. The homing head is capable of active, passive, or mixed modes for closing onto its target. It can also discriminate between decoys and real targets in the presence of heavy reverberations especially emitted pulses and signal processing.

The latest version is the A244-S mod.3 torpedo, manufactured by Leonardo.^[1]

Operators

Current operators

• - 25 ordered in 2011
• - 540 ^[2]
  • - 50 (ET52 torpedo) ^[3]
• - 781
• - 72
• - 450 (NST58 torpedo, another derivative)
• - 88
• - 12
• - 12
• - 75
• - 18
• - 12
• - 72
• - 6 (for familiarization before delivery of MU-90)
• - 250 Mod.1; 100 Mod.3
• - 80
• - 120
• - 50
• - ordered in 2010 for Project-58250 frigates
• - 50 Mod.1 ordered April 1997 for 29.5 million dollars; 24 + 25 ordered in 2005 for 12 million Euros
• - 150

Future operators

Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Navy: In October 2022 Bulgarian government decided the purchase A244-S for the two future patrol ships of Bulgarian navy. Bulgarian Navy will receive 24 A244-S mod.3 torpedoes and supporting equipment for the price of 39.3 mln euros. The torpedoes also will be used from Bulgarian navy Eurocopter AS565 Panther helicopters. The first ship is under construction and will be commissioned in 2025.

See also

• APR-3E torpedo - Russian equivalent
• K745 Chung Sang Eo - South Korean equivalent
• Mark 54 Lightweight Torpedo - US Navy's equivalent
• MU90 Impact - French/Italian equivalent
• Sting Ray (torpedo) - British equivalent
• TAL Shyena - Indian equivalent
• Type 97 light weight torpedo (G-RX4) - Japanese equivalent
• Yu-7 torpedo - Chinese equivalent

Bibliography

• Book: Funnell . Clifford . Jane's Underwater Warfare Systems, 2007-2008 . Jane's Information Group . February 2007. 19th . 978-0-7106-2815-2.
• Book: Friedman , Norman . The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems . Naval Institute Press . February 2006 . 5th . 9781557502629.

External links

• Jane's Air-Launched Weapons: A.244/S lightweight torpedo
• A244/S Mod. 3, Eurotorp
• A244 Datasheet
• Deagel.com, specifications
• History & specifications, at Jane's website, retrieved 2009-03-08

Notes and References

1. Web site: A244/S mod.3 . electronics.leonardo.com . 22 May 2024.
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=4S3h8j_NEmkC&dq=a244+torpedo+navy&pg=PA728 The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems, pag.728
3. The ET52 is the Chinese development of the Italian Alenia A244-S light ASW acoustic homing torpedo and is considered by many domestic Chinese sources as the equivalent of the A244-S Mod.2 version. ET52 is essentially the A244-S torpedo with technologies of US Mk 46 Mod.2 torpedo incorporated.