OVERVIEW:  The Mk 24 Tigerfish Mod 1 is a heavyweight Royal Navy submarine-launched torpedo introduced in 1980, designed for dual anti-submarine and anti-surface use. It features wire guidance with active/passive sonar homing and offers dual-speed operation.

DETAILS:  “Mark 24” places it in the RN’s 21‑inch torpedo sequence; “Mod 1” restores anti-surface capability removed from earlier versions. The torpedo measures approximately 6.5 m in length, 533 mm in diameter, and weighs about 1 550 kg, carrying a 340 kg Torpex warhead. It uses silver‑zinc batteries powering an electric motor, offering about 39 km range at low speed (24 kn) and 13 km at high speed (35 kn), with operational depth up to 442 m. Guidance is via a wire during the approach, then switches to active/passive sonar homing for final attack. Initial production began in 1977, officially entering service in October 1980 after Mod 1 trials; known reliability issues persisted, leading to an improved Mod 2 in 1986.

TYPE: Heavyweight submarine-launched wire-guided dual-purpose acoustic homing torpedo

FUNCTION:  Launched from 533 mm submarine tubes, it runs at low speed under wire guidance to the vicinity of the target, then transitions to higher-speed active/passive sonar homing to intercept submarines or surface ships. Upon target acquisition, it detonates via proximity or contact.

NOTE:
IOC: October 1980 (Mod 1)
Manufacturer: Marconi Underwater Systems Ltd, United Kingdom
Operators: United Kingdom; also exported to Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Venezuela
Platforms: Porpoise-, Oberon-, Swiftsure-, and Trafalgar-class submarines
Conflict used in: No confirmed combat deployment by RN; exported versions unknown operational use

SOURCE: Wikipedia “Tigerfish (torpedo)”; NavWeaps “Britain Torpedoes after World War II”; UK Parliament Hansard “Tigerfish HWT Torpedo”