Recently, the Ministry of Defence has signed a deal with the US Government for procurement of MK 54 Torpedo and Expendable (Chaff and Flares) for the Indian Navy, under Foreign Military Sale (FMS).
Context
Recently, the Ministry of Defence has signed a deal with the US Government for procurement of MK 54 Torpedo and Expendable (Chaff and Flares) for the Indian Navy, under Foreign Military Sale (FMS).
Foreign Military Sale (FMS)
- FMS is the U.S. Government’s program for transferring defense articles, services, and training to its international partners and international organizations.
Key-Points
- MK 54 Torpedo
- It is a cigar-shaped, self-propelled underwater missile, launched from a submarine, surface vessel, or airplane and designed for exploding upon contact with the hulls of surface vessels and submarines.
- MK 54 uses sophisticated processing algorithms to analyze information, plot false targets or countermeasures, and then pursue identified threats.
- The primary use of this equipment is for offensive purposes when deployed by anti-submarine warfare aircraft and helicopters, and for defensive purposes when deployed by ships and against fast, deep-diving nuclear submarines and slow-moving, quiet, diesel-electric submarines.
- India intends to use Mk 54 torpedoes in its P-8I surveillance aircraft.
- Expendables: Expendables are non-perishable or used during a flight and will never be recovered.
- Chaff:
- Chaff is part of the CounterMeasure Dispensing System (CMDS) which is a portable electronic counter measure used to protect naval ships from enemy’s radar and missile seekers based on radio frequency.
- The CMDS provides protection against complex, diverse and congested threats on aircraft against missiles that require Radar guided & Infrared.
- It is composed of many small aluminium or zinc coated fibres stored on-board the aircraft in tubes.
- In the event that the aircraft feels threatened by any radar tracking missiles, the chaffs are released into the turbulent air behind the aircraft.
- Flare:
- A flare or decoy flare is also part of the CMDS, which is used by a plane or helicopter to combat infrared homing ("heat-seeking") missiles from the surface to the air or missile from air to air.
- Flares are usually composed of a pyrotechnic structure based on magnesium or other hot metal, with a temperature that is equivalent to or hotter than an engine exhaust.
- Infrared Flares are used to rescue the fighter and to transport aircraft from Infrared's guided missiles (both surface to air and air to air threats).
- Burning when exploded provides another solid source of IR (Infrared) to heat-seeking anti air missiles that protect the air from being lured away from the aircraft.
