Nation: Deep Hunting

It was enough to give a submarine skipper the shakes: the U.S. Navy announced that it is adding to its arsenal the Mark-46 torpedo, a solid-fuel missile with an underwater speed faster than the newest nuclear subs. Thanks to the wonders of computerdom, the Mark-46 also has a built-in, all-but-infallible killer's instinct.

The torpedo can be launched either from aircraft or surface ships. It dives to a preset depth, speeds around in large circles, using secret, supersophisticated devices to seek out an enemy sub. If it finds nothing, the Mark-46 switches to "active echo...

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