US Navy Plans Fleetwide Deployment of New Anti-Torpedo System

The US Navy plans to equip its entire surface fleet with a new torpedo defense system capable of intercepting and destroying incoming torpedoes, according to budget documents cited by Naval News.

The system will add a so-called “hard-kill” capability to the existing AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo countermeasure suite, allowing the Navy to actively neutralize enemy torpedoes using small anti-torpedoes launched from deck-mounted systems.

The service aims to deploy the new system across more than 165 surface ships over the next several years.

According to the document, the FY 2026 budget increase includes support for SLQ-25E countermeasures and development of a hard-kill torpedo defense system.

Full integration and testing are expected to continue through fiscal year 2030.

The final configuration of the system — referred to as the Anti-Torpedo Defense System (ATTDS) — will combine soft- and hard-kill elements, including improved early warning capabilities.

The SLQ-25E Nixie towed decoy will serve as the primary sensor platform, upgraded to provide fire control solutions by tracking the trajectory of incoming torpedoes and designating targets for the interceptor.

The core of the hard-kill component is the Mark 58 Compact Rapid Attack Weapon (CRAW), a lightweight anti-torpedo developed for launch from deck-mounted systems. It will supplement acoustic decoy variants in the SLQ-25 system and initially be deployed on Nimitz- and Ford-class aircraft carriers.

The Navy has already started integrating the new components into the SLQ-25 system, with sea trials of the CRAW scheduled for next summer.

The program envisions phased procurement and incremental software upgrades as components mature. The CRAW torpedo is 85 inches (2.16 meters) long, has a 6.75-inch (171 mm) diameter, and weighs less than 220 pounds (99.8 kg). It can also be launched from submarine torpedo tubes or vertical launch cells.

In October 2024, Japan’s Mitsubishi began developing its own anti-torpedo system to protect surface vessels from Chinese submarines.