US Congress directs Navy to overhaul torpedo inventories for two-war strategy

By: Ethan Gossrow

Sailors assigned to the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN 783) guide a Mark 48 ADCAP (Advanced Capability) torpedo during a weapons offload onboard Naval Base Guam, Feb. 3, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nikita Custer)

Congress has directed the U.S. Navy to conduct a comprehensive review of torpedo inventories and production capacity, as outlined in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027. The goal is to ensure sufficient undersea weaponry to sustain two major regional conflicts simultaneously.

The NDAA instructs Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Hung Cao to implement the initiative within 90 days of the NDAA's enactment. The review will cover:

• Torpedo modernization
• Testing
• Production
• Inventory sufficiency

Inventory Floors

The first major component establishes inventory floors for all U.S. torpedoes, including:

• MK-48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) heavyweight torpedoes
• MK-54 lightweight torpedoes
• Advanced torpedo variants
• Training and testing rounds
• Torpedo countermeasures

These floors will introduce a baseline quantity of undersea arms to be maintained at all times. The figures will likely be tied to the Navy's estimate of torpedo expenditures against two peer or near-peer maritime adversaries, derived from an assessment also included in the initiative.

Industrial Base Assessment

Accompanying the inventory floors will be a report on the current torpedo production capacity of the American industrial base, including potential bottlenecks related to:

• Energetics
• Propulsion systems
• Acoustic seekers
• Guidance electronics
• Specialty metals
• Undersea weapon integration
• Facilities
• Single-source suppliers

Testing Infrastructure Overhaul

The Navy is also directed to investigate and overhaul current torpedo testing infrastructure, including:

• Target vessels
• Undersea ranges
• Digital testing models
• Environmental testing in Arctic and deep-water environments

Additionally, the Navy will develop measures to improve torpedo resistance against advanced acoustic countermeasures and streamline supply and transportation methods during wartime.

Increasing Production

U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Patrol and Reconnaissance (VP) 26 load a Mark-54 lightweight torpedo onto a P-8A Poseidon on Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 7, 2026. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William Bennett IV)

Concurrent with the reviews and inventory reform, the NDAA mandates that SECNAV formulate a plan to massively increase the production capacity of the undersea weapons industrial base to support both peacetime and surge wartime production requirements.

This section of the NDAA includes instructions for the Navy to:

• Pursue possible second-source suppliers
• Build out both private and publicly owned production facilities
• Expand private and public sector cooperation in torpedo production
• Utilize multi-year procurement authorizations efficiently

The Navy will also explore options to reinforce critical supply chain elements for sensitive or hard-to-acquire components, especially during wartime.

Reporting Requirements

Congress mandates that SECNAV's report on all of the above subjects be completed within 120 days of the NDAA becoming law. At that point, SECNAV will submit to congressional hearings to announce the Navy's findings. Congress considers the following subjects most important:

• High-risk production and inventory pitfalls
• A succinct torpedo testing methodology
• Estimates of wartime inventory expenditure
• Investment plans

More Weapons

A model of RTX’s MK-58 CRAW at their SAS 2026 booth, one of two known new torpedo types destined for U.S. Navy service. Naval News Image

This congressional initiative represents the culmination of recent Navy efforts to expand its selection of undersea weapons and countermeasures. The MK-58 Compact Rapid Attack Weapon (CRAW), designed to serve as both an offensive and defensive hard-kill anti-torpedo munition, will likely be the first of two new torpedoes to enter service, beating out the U.S. Navy's RAPTOR low-cost heavyweight torpedo meant to augment the current MK-48.