The Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) successfully test fired the new MU90 Lightweight Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Torpedo late last week.
“This Acceptance Test and Evaluation exercise represents the first time an MU90 Lightweight Torpedo has been fired from an Australian warship,” Defence Minister Joel 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),” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
The MU90 Lightweight Torpedo is being acquired in a three-phase program worth $616 million prices.
Defence selected the Eurotorp MU90/Impact torpedo in 1999 after a competitive tender.