| Mark 45 torpedo | |
|---|---|
 Mark 45 torpedo on display in Aiea, Hawaii, United States | |
| Type | Nuclear antisubmarine torpedo[1] |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1959–1976[1][2] |
| Used by | United States Navy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Applied Research Laboratory, University of Washington[1] Westinghouse Electric |
| Designed | 1957[1] |
| Manufacturer | Westinghouse Electric[1] |
| Produced | 1959[1] |
| No. built | 600 |
| Variants | Mark 45 Mod 1[1] Mark 45 Mod 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2,400 pounds (1,100 kg) |
| Length | 227 inches (580 cm) |
| Diameter | 19 inches (48 cm) |
| Warhead | W34 nuclear warhead |
| Blast yield | 11 kilotons |
| Engine | Electric[1] |
Operational range | 5–8 miles (8–13 km) |
| Maximum speed | 40 knots |
Guidance system | Gyroscope and wire |
Launch platform | Submarines[1] |
The Mark 45 anti-submarine torpedo, a.k.a. ASTOR, was a submarine-launched wire-guided nuclear torpedo designed by the United States Navy for use against high-speed, deep-diving, enemy submarines. This was one of several weapons recommended for implementation by Project Nobska, a 1956 summer study on submarine warfare.[3] The 19-inch (480 mm)-diameter torpedo was fitted with a W34 nuclear warhead. The need to maintain direct control over the warhead meant that a wire connection had to be maintained between the torpedo and submarine until detonation. Wire guidance systems were piggybacked onto this cable, and the torpedo had no homing capability. The design was completed in 1960, and 600 torpedoes were built between 1963 and 1976, when ASTOR was replaced by the Mark 48 torpedo.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jolie, E.W. (15 September 1978). "A Brief History of US Navy Torpedo Development: Torpedo Mine Mk45". Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 109–114. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.