Anti-submarine grenade launcher demo onboard Swedish FAC HMS Styrbjörn

[Carnuss]

The attack depth isn't very deep!

[centurion180ad]

A patrol craft cutting holes in the water with its prop, thinks it is going to get within 1/2 kilometer of a diesel-electric submarine?

I have some bad news for the boatmen, Whisky class SS are retired.

Torpedoes are faster than patrol craft, are able to maneuver independently of the launching craft after being fired, and have a range of some 10 nautical miles.

A torpedo moves across that 450 meter range of this grenade system, in 15 seconds.

This system is all but pointless.

[swedegamer]

@centurion180ad ASW-torpedoes fired at a target very close to the launching vessel pose a risk to the own vessel as well as friendly units nearby, while this system does not. In short, the antisubmarine mortar covers the gap where the distance to the target is too short for an ASW-torpedo.

[centurion180ad]

@swedegamer If a surface vessel is so close to a SS that it can't afford to fire a deck launched TT, then that surface vessel is ALREADY as good as dead. 450 meters is covered by an antiship torpedo in 15 seconds or less.

AFAIK advanced light weight torpedoes possess an activation distance inside wich it will not begin to home, and a DEPTH gague so that it will not attack a surface target such as its own launching vessel.

[swedegamer]

@centurion180ad The system was built as a response to the Soviet/Russian submaribe incursions in Swedish terrotiroal waters in the 80's and 90's. The Baltic sea is by far the most difficult ASW-environment, and no other Navy but the Scandinavian even attempts to detect submarines in an archipelago. As a consequence the detection ranges are very short, sometimes point blank range. Under those conditions, a quicker response system than an ASW-torpedo is necessary as a supplement.

[centurion180ad]

@swedegamer I agree that littoral conditons are difficult.

[AdurianJ]

@centurion180ad

Torpedoes can't always find the target properly in the islands among the swedish archipelago. The regular ASW torpedoes where useless in those areas.

[Wiromax3]

LOL, the sound from the launch... i would love to hear that in a dubstep song xD

[YeahhBuddyMmhm]

Does the nose-cap have to hit the water at a specific surface-to-handler level? Say if it were dropped off the side of the ship, would the nose cap break off and arm the weapon? Also, if that were to happen, would the round be conducted towards the ship and potentially destroy its own handler?

[swedegamer]

@YeahhBuddyMmhm No. Unless it has been launched from a launcher and reached a certain water depth, it is completely safe.

[AnglesM888]

Buy our system. Inside the submarine the presher shock will Kill everybody. Wow saab has outdone her self. I would never ever buy a saab. There is defenetlly money in Murdering people isnt there!!?

[historylover54]

@swedegamer what are the possible capabilities of that system against surface targets?

[swedegamer]

@historylover54 Only defensive (chaff and flares). No surface ships fight at these ranges.

[historylover54]

@swertinge07 you're right in both brown water difficulty and cost. I would think that the grenade launcher plus torpedoes or ASROCs would make a formidable and versatile ASW platform.

[centurion180ad]

@historylover54 Cost basis?

How expensive are the sailors that are going to get blown to bits if they ever have to deploy this system in combat?

An antiship torpedo covers the range of this system in 15 seconds, less if the patrol craft is charging at a submarine in question.

This system is a widow maker.

[stalkingalizee]

A fucking HEDGEHOG!! Its an embarrassment that SAAB still makes this WWII shit.

[swedegamer]

@stalkingalizee A Hedhehog consists of small rocket launched depth charges, while the ASW-601 uses shaped charges which is an entirely different system.

[stalkingalizee]

@swedegamer Same concept, just launch an ASW torp at it.

[Ilicium]

@stalkingalizee Torpedoes are not effective in shallow water. It's still a useful system for things like harbor patrol vessels.

[Spartan043]

@stalkingalizee The advantage of systems like this is that they're lightweight, cost-effective, have low power and cooling requirements, etc.

The only problem is getting close enough to use them. These seem like an ideal weapon for use at point-blank range in shallow inland waters.

[swertinge07]

@stalkingalizee Submarine hunting in brown water is a bit more complicated then in blue water. Also, this system is much cheaper then torpedoes.

[callscott1]

What happens when the Submarine sees the ship first?

[killersushi99]

Dolphins with friggin lasers on their heads would be effective.

[vfeonov]

оружие 1го применения..

[fabricio7297]

very effective .. against submarine!

[SveaMike]

Wow! Love our technology! Swedish military for life<3

[dvrsflrs]

military industial complex at work

[955472]

So what happens to the unexploded projectiles?

[swedegamer]

@955472 They detonate automatically later (see 4:57)

[Nahojism]

@955472 They seek themselves to a nearby beach where children are bathing and explode there of course. (sarcasm)

[StoRdKids]

SWEDEN!!!

[1diesel1]

looks similar to (of course without the electronics) to an ASW wheapon from WWII called Hedg Hog.

[mirellale]

Ok. I might buy it..

[hjalmeeen1]

I like pizza™

[basstemperature]

sub spotted ... Lol ^^

[KillTheGrasshopper]

Magnetic granades would improve the accuracy and the amount of granades. :) But its an old system so what ever.

[swedegamer]

@KillTheGrasshopper Magnetic grenades would not improve the accuracy much at all. Submarine hulls typically have a very low magnetic signature to begin with, and if magnets would attach to a rubber coated subarine hull at all it would have to be within a few centimeters from the submarine. Therefore, it wouldn't really improve the accuracy.

[YeahhBuddyMmhm]

@swedegamer Besides.. magnets create an electric current, which could accidentally set off the charge inside the weapon, which would make it extremely unsafe. Also, the magnets would cause the weapon to stick to its own ship's hull (interior) and be painful to get off.

[bordeauxjean]

thats why u dont fuck with vikings...

[Rocky1990]

rubbish

[Ulisest91]

Hmmm can also double as an MLRS system?

[kristoffersweden]

Second generation of the "Hedgehog" developed in WWII

[TheRealOSKY007]

its from saab!

LLLooooLLL™

[flexi712]

I still haven't quite figured out, why some vessels have both: The ASW grenade launcher AND ASW torpedoes. 450 meters range doesn't sound like much. A shallow water ASW lightweight torpedo seems more the weapon of choice. Would anyone care to enlighten me?

[swedegamer]

@flexi712 The ASW torpedo have a longer range and a higher payload, but it needs a certain volume of water to operate in. The ASW-600/601 is insensitive to extreme littoral conditions, such as water depth less than 60 meters, rock formations on the sea floor, civilian ships nearby etc. In short, if the sub hunter operates in an area with very short detections ranges, the grenade may be preferable to the torpedo just like a hand grenade may be better in house-to combat than an anti-tank missile.

[centurion180ad]

@swedegamer If a submarine is //that// hedged in by littoral conditions (all but run aground stuck in the mud), then a conventional DC which may also be airdropped, is the way to go.

This system is nonsense.

[swedegamer]

@centurion180ad A depth charge is more or less useless against a midget submarine, at least if the hull is welded titanium. "Hedged in" by littoral conditions work to a midget submarine's advantage, its the most difficult environment imaginable for ASW-forces to detect a target and offer the best hiding conditions for a sub. Hence the short ranges.

[centurion180ad]

@swedegamer A DC large enough to destroy a SSK, is //more// deadly against a midget in less than 100 meters of water depth, because the pressure wave will bounce off the floor and lift the midget from underneath.

Best way to go here is with an active HF dipping sonar off a helo to maintain contact.

[hiimcb]

is this still in use?

[swedegamer]

@hiimcb

No, the Kaparen class FPB:s are now decomissioned. A successor to the ASW-601 was supposed to be fitted to the Visby class stealth corvettes, but I think those plans were eventually postponed/cancelled. Unfortunately.

[hiimcb]

@swedegamer cool, tnx man

[SgtDrDeath]

@swedegamer That project was called ALECTO and was canceled in 2005.

But there is a gap today that needs to be filled.

[Agent0range67]

@swedegamer tragiskt detta med försvaret att sparar hela tiden.

[med3S]

@hiimcb No it´s not, it's replaced with torpdos..

[generalen1984]

fan va nice :)