FIRST MU90 LIGHTWEIGHT TORPEDO FIRES FROM AN AUSTRALIAN WARSHIP

The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon, Minister for Defence, today announced that the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) successfully test fired the new MU90 Lightweight Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Torpedo late last week.

“While the MU90 Lightweight Torpedo has been successfully tested in Europe, this Acceptance Test and Evaluation exercise represents the first time an MU90 Lightweight Torpedo has been fired from an Australian warship,” Mr Fitzgibbon said. 

Mr Fitzgibbon said the test firing from HMAS TOOWOOMBA at sea in the Western Australian Exercise Area approximately 30 kilometres off Mandurah in Western Australia was a milestone for the DMO’s Joint Project 2070, Project Djimindi – Replacement Lightweight ASW Torpedo.

“The new MU90 Lightweight Torpedo will provide a significant upgrade to the Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities of the surface combatant platforms of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), including the RAN’s FFG and ANZAC frigates,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

The MU90 Lightweight Torpedo is being acquired in a three-phase program worth $616 million at January 2008 prices.  Defence selected the Eurotorp MU90/Impact torpedo in 1999 after a competitive tender.

The MU90 Lightweight ASW Torpedo is 3 metres long, weighs 300 kilograms, has a range of greater than 10 kilometres and is designed to track and attack quiet-running submarines at depths to more than 1,000 metres.

Media Note:

Imagery from the test firing is available by contacting Defence Media Liaison.  

Media contacts:

Christian Taubenschlag (Joel Fitzgibbon):       02 6277 7800 or 0438 595 567

Defence Media Liaison:                                 02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664