Torpedo

A self-propelled guided munition designed to close with and destroy enemy ships by self-destructing.

Utility

Being a quite straightforward and intuitive idea, torpedoes deliver a self-propelled payload to a targeted ship. Usually this is some sort of explosive device, but torpedoes can be repurposed as probes, mines, or ad hoc escape pods. While early torpedoes separated from their launchers using RCS, modern torpedoes are assisted by electromagnetic accelerators in order to increase initial velocity and decrease the minimum effective range.

Access & Availability

The simplest torpedoes are repurposed nuclear missiles - basically any spacefaring civilization can design and build its own torpedo, but the propulsion and payload vary wildly based on their technological level.