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Yu-7 torpedo
Yu-7 torpedo
Type	Lightweight ASW torpedo
Place of origin	People's Republic of China
Service history
In service	Early 1990s
Used by	People's Liberation Army Navy
Production history
Designer	China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation
Designed	1980s
Specifications
Mass	235 kg (518 lb)
Length	2.7 m (8.9 ft)
Diameter	324 mm (12.8 in)
Effective firing range	14.1 km (7.6 nmi)
Warhead	high explosive
Warhead weight	45 kg (99 lb) shaped charge
Propellant	Otto fuel II
Maximum depth	400 m (1,300 ft)
Maximum speed	>45 kn (83 km/h)
Guidance; system	active / passive acoustic homing
Steering; system	CIACIO-S seeker
Launch; platform	Surface ships; Helicopters

The Yu-7 (Chinese: 鱼-7; pinyin: yú-7; lit. 'fish 7'; from Chinese: 鱼雷; lit. 'fish bomb', meaning ‘torpedo’) is a lightweight torpedo developed by the People's Republic of China. It entered service in the 1990s as the principal anti-submarine weapon of major People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships. The Yu-7 is a derivative of the Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (WASS) A244/S torpedo.^[1]

Development

Development of an effective lightweight anti-submarine (ASW) torpedo for the PLAN began in the 1980s. The program was probably based on 40 A244/S torpedoes purchased for evaluation from Italy in 1987. Additional technology may have been reverse engineered from a United States Mark 46 Mod 2 torpedo recovered from the South China Sea in 1978 by Chinese fishermen. Development was carried out by the 705th Institute (also known as Xi'an Precision Machinery Research Institute, 西安精密机械研究所). The torpedo was initially equipped with electric propulsion, but inadequate performance led to a redesign powered by Otto fuel II. Testing was carried out at the 750 Testing Range in Kunming up to 1988.^[1]

One Chinese source alleges that during the intense technology cooperation between the China and the US in the 1980s, a plan was made to license-produce the Mk 46 Mod 2 in China, though it was not completed due to its steep price. Nevertheless, Chinese personnel visited the torpedo-producing facilities at Honeywell, watched the testing of Mk 46 Mod 5 torpedos, and signed a 1985 contract that involves the transfer of 4 completed Mk 46 Mod 2 torpedoes, a maintenance facility, and technical documents to China. The same source claims that China has also studied the Mark 32 surface vessel torpedo tubes on a Pakistani frigate.^[2]

Description

The Yu-7 has contrarotating propellers. Aboard surface warships, it is fired from Type 7424 tripled 324 mm torpedo launchers; these are copies or derivatives of the WASS B515/ILAS-3.^[1]

Deployment

The Yu-7 entered service in the 1990s.^[1]

Export variant

The ET52 is an export version of Yu-7. It shares most of the developmental heritage including the A244/S and the Mk 46 Mod 2,^[3] but is most notably different in its mechanism of propulsion: a single propeller driven by electric power. Variants that have appeared in text include ET52C and ET52E. ^[4]

Although the electric torpedo has reduced range, it's reportedly only 1/2 to 1/3 the price of a Otto fuel II torpedo.

Yu-11

The Yu-11 (Chinese: 鱼-11; pinyin: yú-11; lit. 'fish 11') is the successor to the Yu-7. It was first publicly identified in July 2015. The major improvement appears to be the pump-jet propulsor. The Yu-11 torpedo is quieter and may potentially operate at depths greater than 600 metres. The Yu-11 is longer, at three metres, and heavier than the Yu-7.^[1]

The Yu-11 is likely to become the standard PLAN lightweight torpedo and may have started equipping modern PLAN warships since 2012.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o "Undersea dragon: Chinese ASW capabilities advance" (PDF). Jane's. 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
^ "揭秘中国鱼-7系列反潜鱼雷". 澎湃新闻. 2015-08-03. Archived from the original on 2016-02-18. Retrieved 2019-05-24. – 1985 visit relating to Mk 46 is supported by snippets of contemporary Chinese reports.
^ Norman Friedman. The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems.
^ "ET-52". WeaponSystems.net. Retrieved 15 November 2022.