A 24.5-inch Royal Navy torpedo would reshape the fleet

What would follow if the Royal Navy adopted a 24.5-inch oxygen-rich torpedo after the Washington treaty?

Surface ships would need larger launchers and probably earlier replacement destroyers, while aircraft would retain a separate 18-inch weapon because the heavier torpedo was impractical to air-drop.

The panel expects other navies to follow a British move toward a very heavy torpedo, magnifying its effect on warship design. Existing destroyers could not simply accept the larger tubes, which could force new construction sooner. Naval aviation would still need an 18-inch torpedo because a 24.5-inch weapon would overwhelm aircraft and the tension-wire arrangements used to make shallow, controlled drops.