5 Fast Facts About the MK 48 Heavyweight Torpedo
July 21, 2025
A Closer Look at the Navy’s Undersea Powerhouse
The MK 48 Heavyweight Torpedo plays a vital role in advancing the U.S. Navy’s mission of undersea dominance. More than just hardware, it features cutting-edge software engineering that enables it to find and strike targets when and where it matters most. These five facts offer a deeper look at how the MK 48 helps keep the Navy mission-ready beneath the surface.
1. Hear. Hunt. Hit.
The MK 48 Guidance and Control Section uses both passive and active sonar and digital electronics to detect, classify, localize, and intercept targets.
2. Wired Up and Fired Up!
Operators can guide it in real time to update targeting and adjust its path using submarine fire control information.
3. No Wire? No Worries.
If the wire is cut or lost, the MK 48 will switch to fully autonomous homing.
4. Advanced Signal Processing and Autonomy.
The MK 48’s digital guidance system is one of the early systems to use advanced signal processing and decision-making algorithms.
5. Multiple Threats, No Problem.
The MK 48 can be launched individually or as a coordinated launch to engage multiple threats simultaneously.