The US Navy wants its next drone-mounted torpedo to be able to glide silently through the air

Aviation ordnancemen load a Mark 54 torpedo on a P-8A Poseidon aircraft during a proficiency exercise on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan.

• This torpedo could glide through the air before quietly entering the ocean
• Silent Anvil must enter the water at angles between 45 and 90 degrees
• Its glide phase could extend submarine hunting far beyond torpedo range

The US Navy is weighing two paths toward a new class of Silent Anvil Air-Launched Torpedo (SAA-LT) meant to enter the water quietly and track threats beneath the surface.