Weapons Timeline
Top 5 Key Events
- 1779 – Carronade enters Royal Navy service
- 1916 – Mark I depth charge introduced
- 1943 – Hedgehog anti-submarine weapon introduced
- 1960 – Sea Cat missile enters service
- 1967 – Sea Dart missile system developed
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Timeline Events
18th Century
The carronade provided short-range but powerful firepower in naval engagements
Related page: Carronade
20th Century
Depth charges became essential for anti-submarine warfare
Related page: Depth charge
Light anti-aircraft weapons became vital against aircraft threats
Related page: Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Hedgehog anti-submarine weapon introduced
1943
Hedgehog allowed forward-firing anti-submarine attacks
Improved naval torpedoes deployed
1945
Advances in torpedo technology increased lethality
Sea Cat missile enters service
1960
Early guided missile systems begin replacing guns
Sea Dart becomes a key fleet air defence system
Related page: Sea Dart
Close-in defence against missiles becomes critical
Related page: Sea Wolf
Exocet missile proves devastating
1982
Anti-ship missiles demonstrate effectiveness in combat
Phalanx CIWS introduced
1990
Automated close-in weapon systems improve ship defence
21st Century
Modern naval gun systems upgraded
2005
Improved fire control increases accuracy
Advanced torpedo systems deployed
2010
Modern torpedoes feature improved guidance systems
Integrated missile systems introduced
2015
Weapons become part of networked combat systems
Next-generation naval weapons development
2020
Focus shifts to hypersonic and directed energy weapons