Anti-shipping airplanes were a major threat during World War II. These aircraft could be flown low above water and attacked warships from high altitude. These aircraft were later replaced by attack aircraft that could use guided bombs and antiship missiles. Although anti-shipping was not a common feature after World War II many navies worked on anti surface ship technology.
Two types of air-launched missiles were used by the US Navy during World War II. The most popular were the RGM/UGM-109B Tomahawk or the S-2. These torpedoes also could be operated by land-based forces or armies. These were surprisingly inaccurate.
The US Navy torpedo, the RUR-5 ASROC (also known as AntiSubmarineROCket), has a rocket attached. It is similar to the Mk 46 submarine torpedo, but it has a longer range. It can also be equipped with a nuclear bomb to destroy submarines up to two miles away from the impact point. The US Navy also has several TLAMs, which can be modified to provide an anti ship mode.
Heavyweight antiship torpedoes, which were heavyweight and powerful against surface ships, were once the most dominant weapon against them. They could be guided by magnetic detonators and could have ranges in the dozens of miles. They also have more warheads per mile than other naval weapons. These torpedoes are large enough to catch submarines, but they can be difficult to decoy. They are too big to be carried by most planes. They also take up a lot of space on surface vessels.
Modern antiship torpedoes have smaller and lighter weapons than their predecessors. However, they are still extremely deadly. These torpedoes create a massive explosion on the target ship, which can cause chaos. They can move twice fast than other ships. They are guided by wires and magnetic detonators. They can also rely on acoustic searchers for guidance.
Modern missiles fly very low and are extremely fast. They can be programmed for multiple targets simultaneously. They can also split between targets if they're shot down. They can also self-guide. Although these weapons were used in Vietnam and Korea, they are now less common.
A third type of anti-shipping weapon is a depth charge. These bombs can also be dropped into the seawater. They are similar to a depth-charge, but they cannot be tracked by the target. They can be programmed with pressure or a timer to explode. Although they are not intended for direct hits, they can be used to blind sonar or cause sonar contact loss. They are quite harmless in comparison to torpedoes. They are used in World War I and World War II. These bombs were also quite common in Vietnam.
The modern anti-shipping weapons can be launched both from ships and planes. They can also withstand being shot before launch. They can also been fired from submarines. Torpedoes could be guided by wires or acoustic searchers. They are designed specifically to destroy submersibles and surface ship. They are also capable of hitting regular aircraft.