The Naval Fleet Command yesterday made public the initial report on a torpedo that went out of control during the Hankuang (
On Sept. 4, the Hankuang No. 19 exercises took place in Ilan County. A German-made SUT-type torpedo had to be prematurely detonated after it went out of control. The weapon was later found on the beach at Ilan. The navy immediately moved it to a naval base in Tsoying District, Kaohsiung City, for further examination.
According to the initial report, the torpedo failed the test because its leading wire was accidentally broken.
PHOTO: HUANG MING-SHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
"The design and structure of the torpedo itself are okay," a naval official said yesterday.
"Numerous variables, such as weather conditions, the underwater environment and human operations, could all have contributed to the failure," the official said.
The fleet command will invite weapons experts to investigate the problem, and will announce the cause of the failure after the joint investigation.
Meanwhile, the fleet command confirmed yesterday that another torpedo went missing after military drills in the sea close to Penghu County on Monday. According to Shen Po-chih (申伯之), the deputy commander of the Naval Fleet Command, a US-made MK-46 torpedo disappeared after it was launched by a warship around 10:40am.
Shen stressed that it was just an exercise torpedo, and was absolutely safe, since it contains no explosives.
The navy is searching for the torpedo, and urged the public to contact the authorities if they happen to find it.
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