| Yu-7 torpedo | |
| Origin: | People's Republic of China |
| Type: | Lightweight ASW torpedo |
| Is Ranged: | y |
| Is Explosive: | y |
| Is Missile: | y |
| Service: | Early 1990s |
| Used By: | People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Designer: | China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation |
| Design Date: | 1980s |
| Weight: | 235kg (518lb) |
| Length: | 2.7m (08.9feet) |
| Diameter: | 324mm |
| Range: | 14.1km (08.8miles) |
| Filling: | high explosive |
| Filling Weight: | 45kg (99lb) shaped charge |
| Propellant: | Otto fuel II |
| Depth: | 400m (1,300feet) |
| Speed: | >45kn |
| Guidance: | active / passive acoustic homing |
| Steering: | CIACIO-S seeker |
| Launch Platform: | Surface ships Helicopters |
The Yu-7 (; from, meaning ‘torpedo’) is a lightweight torpedo developed by the People's Republic of China. It entered service in the 1990s as the principal anti-submarine weapon of major People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships. The Yu-7 is a derivative of the Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (WASS) A244/S torpedo.[1]
Development of an effective lightweight anti-submarine (ASW) torpedo for the PLAN began in the 1980s. The program was probably based on 40 A244/S torpedoes purchased for evaluation from Italy in 1987. Additional technology may have been reverse engineered from a United States Mark 46 Mod 2 torpedo recovered from the South China Sea in 1978 by Chinese fishermen. The torpedo was initially equipped with electric propulsion, but inadequate performance led to a redesign powered by Otto fuel II. Testing was carried out at the 750 Testing Range in Kunming up to 1988.[1]
The Yu-7 has contrarotating propellers. Aboard surface warships, it is fired from Type 7424 tripled 324 mm torpedo launchers; these are copies or derivatives of the WASS B515/ILAS-3.[1]
The Yu-7 entered service in the 1990s.[1]
The Yu-11 is the successor to the Yu-7. It was first publicly identified in July 2015. The major improvement appears to be the pump-jet propulsor. The Yu-11 torpedo is quieter and may potentially operate at depths greater than 600 metres. The Yu-11 is longer, at three metres, and heavier than the Yu-7.[1]
The Yu-11 is likely to become the standard PLAN lightweight torpedo and may have started equipping modern PLAN warships since 2012.[1]