The torpedo is driven by a pump-jet coupled to a Hamilton Sundstrand 21TP04 gas turbine engine using Otto fuel II and hydroxylammonium perchlorate as oxidiser.
[3] The Spearfish, which are capable of travelling at 80 knots (150 km/h; 92 mph),[4][5] were designed to catch high-speed, deep-diving Soviet threats such as the Alfa-class submarine.
High-power transmissions and sophisticated signal processing enable Spearfish to accurately discriminate targets from background noise and ensure high resistance to acoustic countermeasures and/or evasive manoeuvres.
Should Spearfish fail to hit the target on its first attack, it automatically selects an appropriate re-attack mode until it successfully concludes the engagement.
Tactical software has been extensively refined through real-time, hardware in the loop simulations and demonstrated in more than 500 in-water trials and exercise firings.