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7.6.2 “Damn the Torpedoes!” Lessons from Underwater Warfare
Author(s) -
Fossnes Terje
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
incose international symposium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2334-5837
DOI - 10.1002/j.2334-5837.2007.tb02942.x
Subject(s) - ingenuity , adversary , engineering , safer , submarine , underwater , aeronautics , computer security , systems engineering , computer science , marine engineering , history , neoclassical economics , archaeology , economics
Torpedoes in underwater warfare have become an increasingly more sophisticated threat to the opponent over the past 150 years. Human ingenuity, creativity and advancements in technology have resulted in a very complex and intelligent system in its own right. This paper examines five cases where torpedo failures ended in more indignation for the weapon launchers rather than their targets, or caused severe consequences for the carrying platforms. The recent loss of the Russian submarine Kursk is an example of the latter, examined in case 5. Cases from the history of torpedo failures provide cautionary tales: the failures are largely attributed to inadequate systems engineering performance and badly executed enterprise performance during different stages of the systems' life cycles. Experiences gained from these failures are applied in the torpedo industry today; intelligent enterprises have discovered that responsible systems engineering provides the key to safer product development and operations.