RUR-5 ASROC and RUM-139 VL-ASROC (VLA)

[NMaude]

While the RUR-5 had either a Mk-46 12.75" torpedo or a nuclear depth-charge with a 10KT W44 warhead the RUM-139 only had the Mk-46 (And later on the Mk-54) torpedo. So what I was wondering the VLA was being developed in the early 1980s was any thought given to it also having a nuclear depth-charge too? I could see it using some variant of the W81 SM-2 warhead design.

 

[Scott Kenny]

While the RUR-5 had either a Mk-46 12.75" torpedo or a nuclear depth-charge with a 10KT W44 warhead the RUM-139 only had the Mk-46 (And later on the Mk-54) torpedo. So what I was wondering the VLA was being developed in the early 1980s was any thought given to it also having a nuclear depth-charge too? I could see it using some variant of the W81 SM-2 warhead design.

Well, ASROC (and SUBROC!) was supposed to be replaced by UUM/RUM-125 Sea Lance, not VLA. And Sea Lance would have had a 200kt W89 warhead (same as SRAM2). But the ship-launched version was given up on as too complex (or not enough commonality left) by 1983, with the US developing VL-ASROC as a stop-gap instead.

 

[dy031101]

I remember seeing a Mk.26-compatible version of the RUM-139 was displayed in a past defense exhibition in Taiwan (for the Keelung class destroyers).

I made the mistake of not saving an image of it while it was still online and am just kicking myself for it now.

Does anyone have any information on this, such as any change made outside of the launcher interface? Thanks in advance.