Aerial torpedo

For the early guided missile, see Sperry Aerial Torpedo.
An aerial torpedo dropped from a Sopwith Cuckoo during World War I

An aerial torpedo (also known as an airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo[1]) is a torpedo launched from a torpedo bomber aircraft into the water, after which the weapon propels itself to the target.[2]

First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited use. Aerial torpedoes are generally smaller and lighter than submarine- and surface-launched torpedoes.

  1. ^ Hughes, 2000, p. 162.
  2. ^ Dictionary.com aerial torpedo. Retrieved on September 24, 2009.