NOTS RAT
History
The RAT (Rocket Assisted Torpedo) was an early 1950's development program for the development of an weapon that could targets in the longer range of the sonars then developed. The RAT consisted of an simple solid fueled rocket motor with an torpedo on top. RAT A, based on an Mk 24 torpedo, test fired in 1952. This was followed in 1954 by RAT B which held an Mk 43 torpedo.
The RAT's rocket motor had an constant burn time, so the range was set by the elevation at launch. The rocket followed an ballistic trajectory. When arriving at the required position, the booster and aerodynamic surfaces were discarded, after which the torpedo descended on the water under two parachutes.
RAT B had an effective range of around 1400-2700 meter. Operational tests in 1957 showed that the RAT B failed to achieve required accuracy, as the rocket could not reliably place the torpedo within letal distance from the target submarine. Therefore, the deployment of RAT B was abandoned in favour of the development of RAT C, which we now know as ASROC
Used on
The RAT did not reach operational status.
