The US Navy is poised to overhaul its torpedo inventory under the newly-approved congressional budget as the military shifts toward a “two-war” strategy.

Background

Lawmakers made it clear that the US needs to build quantities of undersea weapons sufficient to maintain two major regional conflicts simultaneously, according to Naval News.

Manufacturers are now focused on building up supplies of the US MK-48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) heavyweight torpedoes and MK-54 lightweight torpedoes to meet the minimum base requirements set by the new budget.

The Navy has not clarified the exact number of undersea weapons that would entail, but it is based on internal estimates about potential conflicts with a near-peer force.

The Navy is also required to build up a plan to massively increase torpedo production should it become necessary during war or peacetime.

Context

The overhaul comes as the US military is already scrambling to refill stockpiles of missiles and other weapons depleted in the war against Iran.

A recent analysis by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) estimated that the US had roughly 632 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors before June 13, the day Israel began its offensive in Iran.

About 540 interceptors remain in its arsenal based on JINSA’s calculations of interceptor deliveries and use, according to the report.

The US has used up 14% of its global stockpile of prized THAAD missile interceptors.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.