The U.S. submarine that fired the torpedo last week sinking an Iranian warship was reportedly of the Virginia class – a type frequently serviced at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.
The attack was the first confirmed instance since World War II of a U.S. submarine sinking an enemy vessel using torpedoes.
Video circulating online appears to show footage captured from a U.S. submarine.
The recording shows the Iranian vessel rising sharply after being struck, followed by a large plume of smoke. The stern of the ship appears to lift partially out of the water after the torpedo impact.
Pentagon officials haven’t confirmed the details of the mission or identified the U.S. boat that fired an Mk 48 torpedo in the Indian Ocean sinking.
But it’s believed to have been fired by a Virginia-class attack submarine.
The Kittery yard is considered by the Pentagon to be a premier facility for maintaining the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered sub fleet, which also includes the Los Angeles-class submarines.
The yard conducts major overhauls, including reactor servicing and system upgrades for both classes of these advanced vessels.
Kittery workers this year have worked overhauling the USS New Mexico (SSN 779) and USS North Dakota (SSN 784), both of the Virginia class.
The New Mexico arrived at the yard two weeks ago to undergo an overhaul.
“The arrival of New Mexico is a significant event for our shipyard and the nation,” Capt. Jesse Nice, shipyard commander, said at the time.
The Virginia subs are roughly 377 feet long with a crew of 125 sailors.
The subs cost $4.3 billion to build, about twice the expense of an Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer at Bath Iron Works.
The Mk 48 torpedoes they are equipped with are 19 feet long and weigh 3,744 pounds, including the warhead which alone weighs 650 pounds.
The torpedo uses information from the launching submarine and its own sensors to find and strike submarines or surface ships.
The weapon, powered by a piston engine with rotor blades, is built for destructive power.
According to Navy specifications, the torpedo measures 21 inches in diameter and carries a 650-pound high-explosive warhead.
A single Mk 48 torpedo costs approximately $4.2 million.
Lockheed Martin, one of the Mk 48 torpedo program’s primary contractors, says it can be guided in real time by wire from the launching submarine, allowing operators to update targeting information and adjust its course after launch.
If the wire connection is lost, the torpedo can switch to autonomous homing, relying on digital guidance systems and onboard signal processing to continue its pursuit independently.
Maine Shipyard Plays Major Role Maintaining The Attack Sub Class Used Against Iran
By Ted Cohen
