WASHINGTON — Aerojet Rocketdyne, a maker of rocket, hypersonic and electric propulsive systems for space, defense, civil and commercial applications, said its system was selected to power the U.S. Navy’s Compact Rapid Attack Weapon as part of the Raytheon Missiles & Defense team building the next generation torpedo.
The company will provide the afterbody, propulsion system and tail for the new torpedo, El Segundo, California-based Aerojet said in a statement. According to the Navy, CRAW will be used offensively against enemy submarines and can serve as a defensive weapon to eliminate incoming torpedoes.
The torpedo will utilize the Aerojet’s Stored Chemical Energy Propulsion System, which will significantly improve its capabilities, it said. In February, Aerojet Rocketdyne announced that it built a self-funded SCEPS lithium boiler. The system uses a chemical reaction to power a steam turbine. The design builds upon the Penn State University Applied Research Laboratory’s technical data package, it said.
The company will produce the components for CRAW at its Coleman Aerospace subsidiary, Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Center of Excellence for undersea propulsion.
Navy’s larger MK 54 MOD 2 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo
In addition to CRAW, the Navy is using its Other Transaction Authority to contract with Aerojet to deliver SCEPS prototype afterbody/tailcone assemblies for an advanced propulsion system for the its larger MK 54 MOD 2 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo.
The MK 54 lightweight torpedo is the primary anti-submarine warfare weapon used by Navy surface ships, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Designed to operate in shallow waters and in the presence of countermeasures, it can track, classify and attack underwater targets.
The Navy worked with Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems to design and develop the lightweight torpedo. The MK 54 combines the advanced sonar transceiver of the MK 50 torpedo with the legacy warhead of the older MK 46, according to Raytheon.
It has undergone over 25,000 high-fidelity simulation runs at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island. The MK 54 was also put through its paces and exceeded expectations during in-water testing.
Aerojet is world’s 65th largest defense contractor by revenue, according to the annual ranking by Defense News. Lockheed Martin, the world’s No. 1 defense contractor, terminated a $4.4 billion agreement to acquire the company in February after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued to block it on antitrust grounds. Raytheon is No. 2.
