TSAMTO, August 28. On August 25, the US Navy Aviation Systems Command (NAVAIR) published a request for information (RFI) on the creation of a promising long-range aviation anti-submarine torpedo, the Silent Anvil Air-Launched Torpedo (SAA-LT).
SAA-LT is positioned as a remote application system designed to expand the range and coverage of anti-submarine operations performed by manned and unmanned aerial vehicles of the US Navy.
According to the developers, the munition should be a highly maneuverable planning weapon that stealthily moves to the target area and enters the water only for the time necessary for sonar detection and destruction of an enemy submarine.
The product will be transported on a suspension and dropped from the internal and external suspension units of aircraft armament using standard suspension systems.
NAVAIR is considering two constructive options for implementing the program: a fully integrated SAA-LT solution (a new torpedo with planning tools) or a non-motorized planning kit that delivers a standard serial torpedo to the target area.
According to the technical specification, the munition should have a compact and lightweight design, similar in size to the small GBU-39 (SDB) aerial bomb, with a mass of no more than 121 kg, a length of no more than 178 cm and a diameter of no more than 19 cm. The product must be compatible with the BRU-61/A beam holder.
The torpedo will include a sonar sensor, a warhead, a compartment for command and control equipment and an electric propulsion system. The aerodynamic (planning) part of the complex will include a wing module, a radio channel with an antenna, as well as a guidance and control system.
The launch height range in the request is from 3 to 18300 m, the discharge speed is from 0.25 M to 0.85 M. For a variant of the planning kit, the angle of entry into the water should be 45-90 degrees. at a speed of 13-37 m/s. The maximum planning range is not specified in the document – NAVAIR is requesting proposals from the industry on achievable indicators.
A key operational requirement is to maximize the duration of flight in the air while minimizing the time spent in the aquatic environment, limited by the time strictly necessary to complete a combat mission.
The deadline for submitting responses to the RFI is set for September 29, 2026.
Participants are expected to demonstrate a comprehensive prototype "from dropping to hitting a target" within 18 months of the conclusion of the agreement, as well as the manufacture of about 180 full-size combat units within three years after the successful demonstration.
The SAA-LT is being developed against the background of the ongoing modernization of the existing fleet of light torpedoes of the US Navy, in particular, an improved version of the MK-54 MOD 2, launched in January 2026 by Northrop Grumman. The MK-54 light torpedo is used from surface ships, submarines, MH-60R helicopters and P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, with a range of about 9.2 km.
