RUR-5 ASROC
History
ASROC started out as the RAT (Rocket Assisted Torpedo) program in the early 1950's. The new weapon had to be able to take advantage of the longer range of the modern sonars then in development. These developments were required as modern submarines were both fast, silent and armed with long range homing torpedo's. The RAT program did this by air delivering torpedo's some distance away from the ship, both extending the torpedo's range and the lowering the advance warning the enemy submarine had for the incoming torpedo. RAT-C, the long range (8000 yards or more) variant of RAT, was conceived to allow the use of a nuclear depth charge, which would have to be detonated a safe distance away from the launching ship. When the RAT-A and RAT-B programs failed, RAT-C was redesigned to take either the nuclear depth charge or an homing ASW torpedo. The torpedo required better accuracy then the nuclear depth charge, so the launcher and rocket had to be modified with larger side fins. This program was finally successful, and before it became operational the name of RAT-C was changed to ASROC. It became operational on board the USS Norfolk in the 1960's, and was operational until the 1990's in USN service, being replaced by RUM-139 Vertical Launch ASROC.
2 variants of ASROC exist, defined by their payload:
- W44 nuclear depth charge
- Mk 46 torpedo
The nuclear warhead types were all decomissioned in 1989, when all nuclear depth bombs were removed from deployment.
ASROC is not to be considered an missile, as there is no on-board steering: the launcher points the rocket into the right direction, after which it launches into an ballistic trajectory. when the rocket is at the right location the payload is dropped by parachute.
The ASROC could be fired from the Mk 112 launcher, Mk 26 GMLS and Mk 10 Mod 7. As far as is known, only the Mk 112 launcher and Mk 26 GMLS could take the nuclear depth charge variant.
Used on
- Norfolk
- Knox
- Spruance
- Kidd
- Ticonderoga
- Charles F Adams
- Long Beach
- Albany
- Restigouche class
- Lütjes class
- Vittorio Veneto
- Truxtun
Many others -- WIP --
Affiliated systems
- Mk 16 ASROC Launching Group
- Mk 112 launcher
- Mk 26 GMLS
- Mk 4 AWHS
- Mk 10 Mod 7
- Mk 46 torpedo
- W44 nuclear depth charge
- RUM-139 VL-ASROC
- NOTS RAT
