OVERVIEW: The Mk 50 Barracuda Mod 0 ALWT (Advanced Lightweight Torpedo) is a U.S. Navy lightweight torpedo introduced in 1991, designed specifically for deep‑water anti‑submarine warfare. It employs stored‑chemical energy propulsion and combined active/passive sonar homing.

DETAILS: “Mk 50” designates it as part of the U.S. Navy lightweight torpedo series; “Barracuda” is its development nickname and “Mod 0” its baseline production version. It is 2.88 m long, 324 mm in diameter, and weighs 337–363 kg, carrying a 45 kg shaped‑charge warhead. Propulsion uses a stored chemical energy system combining sulfur hexafluoride and lithium to heat water for a pump‑jet, delivering speeds of 50 kt and range around 15 km at depths from 40 m to over 600 m. Guidance employs combined active/passive sonar homing optimized against fast, deep‑diving submarines. It entered U.S. Navy service in the early 1990s as a high‑performance successor to the Mk 46, but was never exported and remained limited in production.

TYPE: Lightweight ship/air‑launched active/passive acoustic homing torpedo

FUNCTION: Launched from Mk 32 tubes on surface vessels or from ASW aircraft and helicopters, it uses active/passive sonar to search and home on submarine targets. The pump‑jet propulsion enables high‑speed terminal performance against deep‑diving submarines.

NOTE:
IOC: Early 1990s (~1991)
Manufacturer: Honeywell, USA
Operators: United States only
Platforms: U.S. Navy surface ships (Mk 32 tubes), ASW aircraft (e.g., P‑3 Orion Update III), ASW helicopters
Conflict used in: No confirmed combat deployment

SOURCE: Mk 50 torpedo – WeaponsSystems.net; Mk 50 torpedo general data – WeaponsSystems.net; U.S. Navy torpedoes – NSL Archive