Navy Develops Containerized Mk48 ADCAP Torpedo Launchers for Unmanned Surface Vessels
Defense contractors position for multi-billion dollar unmanned warfare market as Pentagon allocates $50 million for revolutionary "Liberator" system
The U.S. Navy has launched an ambitious program to deploy its most powerful submarine torpedoes on unmanned surface vessels, marking a significant shift in naval warfare capabilities. The Navy's Fiscal Year 2026 budget allocates $50 million toward developing a containerized Mark 48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) torpedo launcher called "Liberator" for use on unmanned surface vessels (USV) and small combatants.
Program Executive Office, Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) is leading the effort and will deliver a 3.5 hour presentation about Liberator and a related unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) payload, Hunter, to industry partners next week. The Hunter payload is designed for Boeing's Orca extra-large unmanned undersea vehicle (XLUUV), suggesting the Navy is pursuing torpedo capabilities across multiple unmanned platforms.
Revolutionary Capability Development
Work on Liberator is being done within the U.S. Navy's Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Division, the Navy's premier underwater warfare research facility. The containerized launcher system represents a fundamental shift from traditional torpedo deployment, which has been limited to submarines and select surface vessels with fixed torpedo tubes.
The Mark 48 ADCAP torpedo is the U.S. Navy's primary submarine-launched heavyweight torpedo (HWT), used since 1972 in its earliest forms. The Lockheed Martin-built HWT has a 650 pound (295 kilogram) warhead that can be delivered to the keel of a ship, delivering lethal effects. Jane's Defense estimates the range of the ADCAP at 31 miles (50 km) at 40 kts, giving small, stealthy USVs like the Leidos Sea Specter a reasonable standoff range against a surface action group or carrier strike group.
The torpedo is specifically designed for maximum lethality. The effect comes with a more effective delivery location, detonating under the ship's keel to compromise structural integrity rather than striking at the waterline like an anti-ship missile. This creates devastating damage, as demonstrated in Navy testing where a single Mk48 ADCAP split a 4,000-ton frigate completely in half.
Key Vendors Positioned to Benefit
Several major defense contractors are positioned to capitalize on this emerging market:
Lockheed Martin stands as the primary beneficiary as the current Mk48 torpedo manufacturer. The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has awarded Lockheed Martin a $245 million contract extension for the MK-48 Guidance and Control (G&C) Mod 7 program in December 2024. Lockheed Martin is to upgrade existing Mark 48s to include a new guidance-control system known as the Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS), in addition to improving propulsion and resistance to electronic countermeasures.
Textron Systems emerges as a strong contender for USV platform integration. The company already produces the Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) for the Navy and has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NAVSEA to develop and integrate surface warfare payloads onto the CUSV. The Textron Systems CUSV has been selected as the system of choice for the U.S. Department of Defense's first small USV program of record.
Boeing is developing complementary capabilities through its Orca XLUUV program. The Navy's FY2025 budget submission programs the procurement of additional XLUUVs through the Other Procurement, Navy account, at a rate of one per year in FY2026-FY2029, with estimated procurement costs of $113.3 million, $115.6 million, $117.9 million, and $120.4 million, respectively.
Raytheon Technologies could benefit through its torpedo expertise, particularly with lighter torpedo systems. The company serves as an innovation accelerator inside Raytheon in support of the U.S. Navy's MK54 lightweight torpedo program and is building prototypes of a Compact Rapid Attack Weapon (CRAW) designed to be launched from a submarine's decoy launcher.
Ultra Maritime has secured a subcontract position. Ultra Maritime received a contract from Lockheed Martin to provide components for the heavyweight torpedo in December 2024 and currently manufactures similar sections for the MK 54 MOD 0 Lightweight and MK 58 Compact Rapid Attack Weapon (CRAW) torpedoes.
Strategic Implications
The Liberator program represents a paradigm shift in naval warfare, potentially giving smaller, more distributed platforms the firepower previously reserved for submarines and major surface combatants. ADCAP-carrying USVs would offer an extremely potent short to medium range capability against high value targets, given the lethality and difficulty in destroying and deceiving incoming torpedoes.
This capability aligns with the Navy's broader push toward distributed lethality and unmanned warfare systems. The containerized approach allows for flexible deployment across multiple platform types while maintaining the devastating effectiveness of the Navy's most proven anti-ship weapon.
The development timeline and full scope of the Liberator program remain classified, though industry presentations scheduled for this week are expected to provide additional details to potential contractors and partners.
Sources
- Johnston, Carter. "U.S. Navy Pairs Heavyweight Torpedo with USV in a New Program Effort." Naval News, July 15, 2025. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/07/u-s-navy-pairs-heavyweight-torpedo-with-usv-in-a-new-program-effort
- "Mark 48 torpedo." Wikipedia, May 17, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_48_torpedo
- "Lockheed Martin to Enhance US Navy MK 48 Torpedo in $245M Deal." The Defense Post, December 9, 2024. https://thedefensepost.com/2024/12/06/lockheed-us-navy-mk-torpedo/
- "MK-48 Mod 7 Guidance and Control System Contract Extension." Lockheed Martin News, December 4, 2024. https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2024-12-04-MK-48-Mod-7-Guidance-and-Control-System-Contract-Extension
- "U.S. Navy, Textron to Weaponize Unmanned Craft for Surface Warfare." USNI News, January 9, 2018. https://news.usni.org/2018/01/09/u-s-navy-textron-weaponize-unmanned-craft-surface-warfare
- "Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle | Multi-mission & multi-payload uncrewed vessel." Unmanned Systems Technology, September 10, 2024. https://www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com/company/textron-systems/common-unmanned-surface-vehicle/
- "Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress." EveryCRSReport.com, December 19, 2024. https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R45757.html
- "Torpedoes | Raytheon." RTX.com. https://www.rtx.com/raytheon/what-we-do/advanced-technology/torpedoes
- Burgess, Richard R. "Small Torpedo Being Prototyped by Raytheon to Arm the Navy's Submarines." Seapower, January 17, 2023. https://seapowermagazine.org/small-torpedo-being-prototyped-by-raytheon-to-arm-the-navys-submarines/
- "Ultra Maritime Awarded Subcontract for MK 48 MOD 7 Guidance and Control Heavyweight Torpedo." Ultra Maritime, April 2, 2025. https://umaritime.com/ultra-maritime-awarded-mk-48-heavyweight-torpedo/
- "Naval Undersea Warfare Center." Wikipedia, April 16, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Undersea_Warfare_Center
No comments:
Post a Comment