Many ships were sunk by torpedoes in World War I and World War II (in the Pacific War and Battle of the Atlantic), but very few torpedoes have been used in conflicts since 1945, making each individual usage more exceptional. Technical advances have vastly increased torpedo lethality since World War II, so the decline in torpedo usage likely reflects less warfare between near-peer adversaries.
List ShipType National affiliation Date Conflict Torpedo Vector National affiliation Notes Frigate India 9 December 1971 India–Pakistan war of 1971 Unspecified Pakistan Cruiser Argentina 2 May 1982 Falklands War Three Mark VIII (one missed) United Kingdom Sinking of ARA General Belgrano TransitCoaster Lebanon 16 June 1982 1982 Lebanon War Two unspecified Gal class Israel The boat was carrying 54 refugees and foreign workers to Cyprus, of which 25 died in the attack. The captain of the Israeli submarine testified that he saw over 30 uniformed soldiers and no women or children on board. The Israeli Defense Forces investigated the attack ten years after it occurred, and military censorship prevented public reporting until 2018. MukosPatrol boat Yugoslavia14 November 1991Battle of the Dalmatian ChannelsImprovisedNaval commandosCroatiaTwo engineers built the improvised guided torpedo from various spare parts including an outboard motor, a chicken feeder, a radio battery, and sewer pipe. The sunken patrol boat was repaired for service with the Croatian Navy under the name Šolta. Corvette South Korea 22 March 2010 Korean conflict Likely one CHT-02D Likely a North Korea ROKS Cheonan sinking Frigate Iran 4 March 2026 2026 Iran war Two Mark 48 (one missed) United States Sinking of IRIS Dena
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