Boeing flying torpedoes to attack enemy submarines from 30,000 feet

摘要

Airborne weapons experts at the Boeing Co. got the go-ahead last month to start building add-on kits for the U.S. Navy Mark 54 lightweight torpedo that will enable the weapon to glide through the air from altitudes as high as 30,000 feet and enable the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol jet to attack enemy submarines from long ranges. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington awarded a $19.2 million contract to the Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Charles, Mo., to design and build the High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC) Air Launch Accessory (ALA). The HAAWC ALA turns the Raytheon Mark 54 torpedo into a glide weapon that the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft can release from high altitudes.