A US Navy Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk launches an Mk 54 practice torpedo over the waters of Tokyo Bay during an exercise in March 2022. (US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Askia Collins)
The US Department of State has approved a possible sale of Mk 54 Mod 0 lightweight anti-submarine warfare (ASW) torpedoes for the Indian Navy's Sikorsky MH-60R helicopter fleet.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on 7 October that the possible sale has a value of USD175 million and covers 53 Mk 54 torpedos all-up rounds (AURs).
“The Indian Navy already possesses Mk 54 MoD 0 lightweight torpedoes and will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces,” the DSCA said. India's February 2020 order of 24 MH-60Rs included 30 Mk 54 Mod 0 torpedoes.
According to the DSCA, the proposed sale “will improve India's capability to meet current and future threats by increasing the size of its anti-submarine weapons stockpile for its MH-60R helicopters”.
The Mk 54 torpedo is designed to operate in shallow waters and in the presence of countermeasures, according to Raytheon. Capable of tracking, classifying, and attacking underwater targets, the Mk 54 Mod 0 weighs 276 kg, can travel at a maximum speed of 45 kt, and has a maximum range of 10.75 n miles. The torpedo can attack submarines at a maximum depth of 600 m.
DSCA said that a “majority of the lightweight torpedo's hardware” for the proposed Indian Navy sale “will be purchased directly from US Navy stock”.
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