Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:11:05-1:11:28

Could Britain retain an 18-inch anti-submarine torpedo

Without NATO and American pressure toward a 12.75-inch standard, Britain might retain an 18-inch weapon, although the outcome is a minority possibility.

18-inch TorpedoesAlternate HistoryAnti-Submarine WarfareNATO StandardisationRoyal Navy
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Question

Without NATO and American standardisation around 12.75-inch weapons, might Britain adopt the 18-inch Mark 30 Mod 1?

Short answer

Possibly, but the estimate puts the chance at only about thirty per cent.

Notes

The counterfactual removes NATO and American pressure toward 12.75-inch anti-submarine weapon standardisation. Britain might then have adopted the 18-inch Mark 30 Mod 1, given its continuing preference for 18-inch torpedoes. The estimate gives that outcome only about a thirty per cent chance. Calibre choice remains contingent on alliance standards and procurement history rather than making the larger weapon inevitable.