The United States Navy is always innovating its weapon systems as naval combat shifts and changes, and new technology is developed. As new threats are encountered, such as advanced submarines, surface ships, and anti-access strategies, the U.S. can’t sit complacent and must instead keep developing its own weapons to stay ahead of the pack.
Decades ago, a handful of torpedoes would have been enough, but submarines must carry their well-stocked arsenal in modern naval warfare to have the advantage.
More Firepower
The Pacific theater is an enormous space where submarines can operate far from home and from any bases or ships that can stock up their munitions.
This means that during a conflict or escalation, submarines may run out of torpedoes. But if they had more firepower on board, they could effectively attack or defend against more targets and help many submarine crews rest easy.
Revolver MP
The latest innovation for submarines is the Revolver Multi-Payload program. The Office of Naval Research created this innovation, which can be used in Virginia-class submarines to fit far more torpedoes into a torpedo tube.
While the program is still being tested in the ocean, it effectively doubles a submarine’s firepower without compromising any other systems on the sub.
How It Works
The Revolver MP is unlike any other submarine torpedo payload system. It utilizes small torpedoes, like the Mark 58 Compact Rapid Attack Weapon, which are then packed together inside a 21-inch tube.
It’s not only torpedoes that can be used for this new multi-load technique, and even unmaned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be launched in this small tube. One torpedo tube can be versatile and carry more ordinance on a submarine.
Mark 58 Craw Torpedo
The main piece of technology behind this amazing new system is the Mark 58 CRAW torpedo. This torpedo is designed to be small but has sufficient firepower to take out other subs or torpedoes, making it an amazing weapon in a submarine’s arsenal.
The small torpedoes can be packed together, allowing for far more to be loaded on the sub than other torpedoes, and can be reloaded quickly through a reload mechanism. Plans for the project to expand and facilitate larger UAVs are underway.
Driver Of Innovation
The main component behind the new development of the Mark 58 Craw torpedoes and Revolver MP is the Indo-Pacific theater and key personnel, who, given the vast rival naval fleets, see the need for a larger ordinance capacity on submarines.
With the Revolver MP system in place, just one Virgina-class submarine can deploy a large offensive against ships or subs that couldn’t be done before. The ability to quickly reload and fire again is another huge advantage of the system.
Testing
The Revolver MP has been extensively tested at sea, with a prototype showcasing the reload ability in 2024. In 2025, according to official Navy sources, a formal design contract—the PMS-415 Revolver Program of Record—is expected 2025, which will showcase its true potential.
The following year, in 2026, the U.S. Navy wants to test its ability to launch UAVs and decoys. This system could see widespread adoption across submarine fleets if trials prove successful.
Advantages
The new system has a few advantages, including more firepower onboard each submarine without adding a lot of unnecessary weight or altering the size of the vessel, the ability to launch not only torpedoes but also UAVs and decoys, and more shots per sub, which means that they can survive in firefights for longer.
Adversaries will find out how effective this new system is, and it could also work as a good deterrent from threats or escalations.
Hurdles
The U.S. Navy must overcome hurdles to prepare the system for combat. One of the most important aspects is reliability, which is why extensive testing is being conducted this year.
The Navy also has logistical challenges that need to be addressed, such as the large-scale manufacture and supply of these torpedoes. The Navy is rolling the systems out in phases and testing them on real subs to smooth the process.
The Future
The U.S. Navy aims to adapt to new rival technology and innovation with its own. The Revolver MP is just the latest in a long line of technological leaps that will define the future of naval warfare.
Soon, the days of submarines having limited ordinance could be over with the robust Revolver MP system and other inventions that have yet to be developed.
