ARMAMENTS

During his speech at the arrival ceremony of the first 6 Rafale aircraft in Tanagra, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, referring to the actions taken so far to upgrade the country’s defence capabilities, noted that in 2022 the Hellenic Navy will procure torpedoes essential for the reinforcement of Greek submarines.

According to what has been made public, the relevant contract concerns the supply of 44 new heavy-weight torpedoes, which will be operated by the type 214 submarines (Papanikolis class) and the upgraded type 209 (Okeanos) of the Hellenic Navy, with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) capabilities. These are the SeaHake Mod4 heavy-weight, dual-purpose torpedoes made by the German Atlas Elektronik, and their acquisition cost amounts to 110 million euros.

The SeaHake Mod4 is a remote-controlled, fiber-optic, wire-guided torpedo and is operated either in manual or fully autonomous mode. The basic version has a length of 6.22 meters, a weight of 1,530 kg, a diameter of 533 mm, and a range exceeding 50 km, while it can develop a speed of up to 50 knots.

Atlas Elektronik has also developed an upgraded version, the SeaHake Mod 4ER (Extended Range), with a length of 6.6 meters and a range of over 140 km, which is guided beyond the length of the fiber optic cable using a communication system that involves a GPS navigation antenna and satellite communication.

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The SeaHake Mod4 incorporates a hydro-acoustically optimized homing head with an array of digital wide-angle sonar, which provides a direct and complete functional image, and the ability to manage and control multiple detects as well as to suppress any kind of interference and distractions.

As for the torpedo sensor, it operates in either passive or active homing (even in combination of the two) and also provides the capability of engaging targets with the wake homing function (technique of monitoring the target wake).

In addition, the torpedo’s electric propulsion system features a modular battery system of very short activation time and an electric motor with very low self-noise, which contributes to the development of high speed, increased maneuverability, extended range, and stealth, a feature that minimizes the possibility of detection from the target.

Especially for the battery system, it is placed inside a capsule, so as its operation is not affected by the respective environmental conditions, and consists of 2, 3, or 4 combat batteries.

The SeaHake Mod4 torpedo can be launched from submarine units, surface ships, and shore-based platforms, while it can adapt to any launching type (swim-out, push-out, water steam, ram). Regarding its integration capability, according to the manufacturer, the torpedo can be integrated into any modern platform and combat management system. 

It should be noted that the Greek type 214 subs and the upgraded type 209 ones use the ISUS combat management system of Atlas Elektronik, which was obviously an important factor in choosing the most suitable torpedo that will equip the submarines in question.

Source: atlas-elektronik.com, International Security and Defense Journal

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