RUR-4 Weapon Alpha


The RUR-4 "Weapon Alpha" was an American naval ahead-throwing antisubmarine warfare rocket launcher. It was designed between 1946 and 1949 and was installed on warships from 1951 to 1969. Unlike depth charges, it was designed to attack enemy submarines without requiring the attacking ship to be located directly above the submarine being attacked.

Development

Similar to the earlier American Mousetrap, 375mm Swedish Bofors, and 250mm and 300mm Soviet systems, all of which use multiple rockets, Weapon Alpha was developed toward the end of World War II, in response to the German Type XXI U-boat. Begun in a crash program in 1944–5 and put in service before undergoing operational evaluation, it emerged in 1949 as a 227-kg 127mm rocket with a 113-kg warhead that sank at 12 m/s , an influence or time pistol, and a range of 360–730 m. Coupled to the new SQG-1 depth-finding sonar, it was to be fired from a revolving Mark 108 launcher at up to twelve rounds per minute. The ready-service magazine could not be reloaded while Weapon Alpha was in use.
It was replaced by ASROC, which was developed by U.S. Navy in the 1950s. Nonetheless, Weapon Alpha remained in service through the 1960s until supplanted by ASROC.

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