Q&A · 1:12:34-1:15:51

Could vertical mine tubes be adapted into missile cells?

A through-hull mine tube offers a possible starting point for a missile cell, but it would need a new structure to support and launch the weapon.

Question

Could specialist submarine minelaying tubes be modified into vertical-launch missile cells?

Short answer

Potentially, but only with a new internal support and launch structure fitted inside the through-hull mine tube.

Notes

Dedicated mine tubes already passed vertically through the submarine's outer casing and opened at both ends. That geometry makes a missile conversion conceivable, although the original tube was built to let a mine fall. A supporting canister or cell structure would have to carry the weapon and manage launch loads safely. The conversion is technically plausible only with that additional structure.