Explained | 'Quiet death' to Iranian ship: What is a torpedo that sunk the IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka coast?

A torpedo fired by a United States submarine sank an Iranian naval vessel off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, leaving dozens of sailors dead and several others missing. The strike marks a significant escalation in the US-Israel-led ongoing military campaign against Iran.

But what is a torpedo? And who has used it earlier? Here is a look at its history. 

What is a torpedo?

A torpedo is a self-propelled underwater missile that can destroy ships or submarines. As one of the most powerful naval weapons ever built, navies rely on it as a primary strike weapon. It travels underwater towards its target before destruction. 

Torpedoes can be launched from submarines and warships from deep underwater while staying hidden from radar and evading visual detection. It is powered by a propeller or jet engine that moves it through water.

Modern torpedoes use guidance systems to find and follow a target. A warhead detonates when it reaches a ship or a submarine causing severe injuries.

Torpedo history and evolution 

The term torpedo originally referred to a range of underwater explosive devices. American inventor Robert Fulton experimented with underwater explosives and named them torpedoes, during the Napoleonic Wars. The name was inspired by the electric ray, a fish capable of stunning its prey with electric shocks.

Navies later developed a weapon known as the spar torpedo. This device involved attaching an explosive charge to the end of a long pole and shoving it into an enemy vessel. When the charge made contact with the ship, it detonated. Although the method was termed to be effective, it required the enemy attackers to remain close.

These early weapons had no propulsion system. Therefore, naval designers looked for a device that could move underwater on its own and could hit targets from a safer distance. Eventually, this led to the development of the modern torpedo.

Modern self-propelled torpedo

British engineer Robert Whitehead first introduced the self-propelled torpedo in 1866. He was initially asked by the Austrian Navy to design an explosive boat that could be controlled by cables.

However, Whitehead rejected it and instead designed a cigar-shaped underwater missile that could guide itself.

Who has used torpedoes?

Many navies around the world have used torpedoes, especially during major wars.

During World War I and II, German submarines, U-boats used torpedoes against Allied supply chains. Thousands of vessels were sunk across the Atlantic by U-boats.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 involved aircraft launching torpedoes at US battleships.

Submarines from countries like the US, Russia, China, India, and the UK still carry torpedoes today as standard naval weapons.