![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Sopwith_Cuckoo.jpg/640px-Sopwith_Cuckoo.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Aerial torpedo
Naval torpedo launched by aircraft / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the early guided missile, see Sperry Aerial Torpedo.
An aerial torpedo (also known as an airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo[1]) is a torpedo launched from a torpedo bomber aircraft into the water, after which the weapon propels itself to the target.[2]
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Sopwith_Cuckoo.jpg/640px-Sopwith_Cuckoo.jpg)
First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited use. Aerial torpedoes are generally smaller and lighter than submarine- and surface-launched torpedoes.