Super Russian Torpedo Revealed

By Brad Taylor
Posted on: May 11, 2001

The May 2001 issue of Scientific American reveals details of a deployed Russian super-speed torpedo called
the Shkval, or the Squall in English. Originally revealed in 1995, this rocket-powered supercavitating torpedo
travels at a velocity of approximately 375-400 km/h or about 230-250 mph that would give a targeted vessel
very little chance to perform evasive maneuvers. The torpedo has been characterized by some as a "revenge"
weapon, that would be fired along the bearing of an incoming enemy torpedo.
HOW IT WORKS
When the suction on the low-pressure side
of a propeller blade falls below the ambient
pressure, the propeller blade cavitates
forming a vacuum cavity. High-speed
propellers are often designed to operate in a
fully-cavitating, or supercavitating, mode. A
high speed supercavitating projectile, while
moving in the forward direction, rotates
inside the cavity. This rotation leads to a
series of impacts between the projectile tail
and the cavity wall. The impacts affect the
trajectory as well as the stability of motion

of the projectile. The trick is to design to projectile so that some degree of accuracy is achieved even while the
projectile is bumping around the cavity.
EVENTS HIGHLIGHTING THE TORPEDO
Rumors abound that the sinking of the Kursk in August, 2000 and the arrest by the Russians of American
businessman Edward Pope in Aprill, 2000 were both related to the Shkval torpedo. The Russians claimed they
confiscated from Pope "technical drawings of various equipment, recordings of his conversations with Russian
citizens relating to their work in the Russian defense industry, and receipts for American dollars received by
them." Pope, a retired US Navy captain who spent much of his career working in naval intelligence, was at the
time of his arrest the head of a private security firm. Later, the Russian security authorities revealed that Pope
had been trying to obtain plans of the Shkval. Pope was detained during an informal contact with a Russian
scientist who had participated in the Shkval's creation.
Authorities also arrested Daniel Howard Kiely, deputy head of the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at
Pennsylvania State University around the time of Pope's arrest. The ARL has for many years been developing
torpedoes for US warships and submarines. In fact, Professor Kiely reportedly had joined Pope in Moscow to
offer technical advice and to direct Pope's activity. Later the 68-year-old professor was released and allowed to
return to the United States.

Note: The above information was gathered from only public accessible sources.