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An older "Matchbox" ASROC launcher, phased out in the 1990s
An older "Matchbox" ASROC launcher, phased out in the 1990s

ASROC (for Anti-Submarine ROCket) is an, all-weather, all sea-conditions anti-submarine missile system, developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s, deployed in the 1960s, updated in the 1990s and eventually installed on over 200 USN surface ships, specifically cruisers, destroyers, and frigates, such as the Knox-class and the Oliver Hazard Perry-class. A cruiser is a large type of Warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy For the bird see Frigatebird. A frigate /ˈfrɪgɪt/ is a warship Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (August 20 1785 &ndash August 23 1819 was an officer in the United States Navy. The ASROC was/is also deployed on scores of warships of many other navies, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of China, Greece, and others.

A surface ship, patrol plane, or anti-submarine helicopter first detects an enemy submarine by using sonar and/or other sensors, relaying the range and bearing information to the attacking ship which then fires an ASROC missile onto an unguided ballistic trajectory, carrying an acoustic homing torpedo or, formerly a Nuclear Depth Bomb (NDB) toward the target. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability Sonar (which started as an Acronym for sound navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses Sound propagation (usually underwater to navigate The modern torpedo (historically called an automotive automobile locomotive or fish torpedo is a self-propelled explosive Projectile weapon launched above or below A Nuclear Depth Bomb (NDB is the nuclear equivalent of the conventional Depth charge and is used in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW for attacking At a pre-determined position on the missile's trajectory the payload separates from the missile and deploys a parachute to slow the torpedo to permit splashdown and water entry at a low speed and minimum detectable noise. The water entry activates the torpedo, and guided by its own sonar system, it homes in on the target using either active sonar or passive sonar. Sonar (which started as an Acronym for sound navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses Sound propagation (usually underwater to navigate Sonar (which started as an Acronym for sound navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses Sound propagation (usually underwater to navigate When the missile hypothetically carried a nuclear weapon, the unguided NDB, sinks quickly to a predetermined depth and detonated. Note - the nuclear-armed ASROC was never used for any purpose, except for one or two tests in 1961-62. Then the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty banning underwater nuclear tests went into effect. The Treaty banning Nuclear Weapon Tests In The Atmosphere In Outer Space And Under Water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty ( PTBT) The nuclear weapon was never used in combat. An ASROC missile could hypothetically carry a 10 kiloton W44 nuclear warhead, although the W44-armed nuclear weapon were ordered to be retired by 1989, and all types of nuclear depth bombs were removed from deployment. Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United The W44 was an American nuclear warhead used on the ASROC tactical anti-submarine missile system [1]

Destroyer USS Agerholm fired an ASROC with a nuclear depth bomb in the "Swordfish" test in 1962
Destroyer USS Agerholm fired an ASROC with a nuclear depth bomb in the "Swordfish" test in 1962

The first ASROC system (RUR-5), using the MK-112 "Matchbox" launcher, was developed in the 1950s and installed in the 1960s. Construction and testing Agerholm was laid down on 10 September 1945 at Bath Maine, by the Bath Iron Works, launched on 30 March 1946 sponsored This system was phased out in the 1990s and replaced with the RUM-139 Vertical Launch ASROC, or "VLA".

Launch of a Vertical Launch ASROC
Launch of a Vertical Launch ASROC

The VLS-ASROC missile is a rocket-propelled, three-stage, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed for deployment on Ticonderoga-class cruisers, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and formerly on the Spruance-class destroyers that were equipped with the Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS). Anti-submarine warfare (ASW or in older form A/S is a branch of Naval warfare that uses surface Warships Aircraft, space craft or other Submarines Vertical Launching System See also Vertical Launching System In addition to the added Radar capability the Ticonderoga class built after the Characteristics The Arleigh Burke class are among the largest and most powerful destroyers ever built both larger and more heavily armed than many previous cruisers Class The class was designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW with point defense Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW missiles upgrades provided anti-ship and land attack A Vertical Launching System ( VLS) is a type of Missile -firing system used aboard the Submarines and surface vessels of several navies around the Note that all of the Spruance-class destroyers have now been retired from service. Also, several other navies use or plan to use the MK-41 VLS, capable of carrying the VLS-ASROC, including those of Australia, Canada, Japan, Spain, Norway, South Korea, and others. For more information, see a standard naval reference such as Jane's Fighting Ships.

The VLS-ASROC missile provides the navies with the capability for rapid response, all weather delivery of an MK-46 torpedo against threat submarines in any direction at intermediate ranges. VLS-ASROC missiles were introduced into the fleet in 1993 as a new weapon for the cruisers and destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat system, and as a replacement for the ASROC weapon on the Spruance-class destroyers when their original ASROC launchers were replaced by the MK-41 VLS. The Aegis combat system is an integrated weapons system used by the United States Navy. Class The class was designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW with point defense Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW missiles upgrades provided anti-ship and land attack

The 31-Spruance-class destroyers all had an interesting and unique ASROC system. They had one standard six-missile ASROC launcher, but these launchers were adjacent to a deckhouse which held three complete six-missile reloads. Thus, each Spruance-class destroyer originally carried a grand total of 24 ASROC missiles - a tremendous anti-submarine armament. Other destroyers, destroyer escorts, and frigates only carried the one launcher with six ASROC missiles, and sometimes some of those missiles were replaced by the Harpoon anti-ship missile. A harpoon is a long Spear -like instrument used in Fishing to catch fish or other large aquatic animals such as Whales It accomplishes this task by impaling The "matchbook" launchers were capable of carrying a mixture of the two missiles.

Once some of the Spruance-class destroyers were modified to include the MK-41 VLS, these launchers were capable of carrying a mixture of the VLS-ASROC, the Tomahawk cruise missile, and other missiles. All of the Spruance destroyers carried a separate Harpoon launcher.

VLS-ASROC missiles were first introduced with the MK-46 torpedo as its payload. In 1996 an upgrade was implemented to allow the enhanced shallow-water capable MK-46 to be included as the VLS-ASROC missile payload (RUM139B). VLS-ASROC missiles are delivered to the fleet as All-Up-Rounds (AURs) which consist of the ASROC missile installed inside of an MK-41 VLS canister. VLS-ASROC missiles have two basic fleet configurations, warshot and exercise.

Contents

General characteristics of the VLS-ASROC

ASROC mission sequence. The range shown was typical of early ASROC rounds, before introduction of the VLS-ASROC system with slightly extended range.
ASROC mission sequence. The range shown was typical of early ASROC rounds, before introduction of the VLS-ASROC system with slightly extended range. [2]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.destroyers.org/Ord-Articles/ASROC.htm
  2. ^ http://www.destroyers.org/Ord-Articles/ASROC.htm

External links

Designed to attack high-performance submarines the Mark 46 Torpedo is the backbone of the U SUBROC (SUBmarine ROCket was a type of Submarine launched Rocket intended for use as an anti-submarine weapon The Ikara Missile was an Australian ship-launched anti- Submarine missile named after an Australian Aboriginal word for a "throwing The Otomat/Teseo is an Italian built anti-ship and coastal attack missile first built by the Italian company Oto Melara jointly with The Sea Lance was authorized in 1980 as a successor to both the UUM-44 SUBROC and RUR-5 ASROC anti-submarine missiles
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