Mexican Navy personnel have recovered an inert U.S. Navy practice torpedo floating adrift in the Pacific Ocean 21.3 nautical miles southwest of Ensenada, Baja California.
The device identified as an MK 54 REXTORP (Recoverable Exercise Torpedo) was safely secured on September 15 and subsequently returned to U.S. authorities.
According to the U.S. Defense Attaché Office, the training unit was initially lost on September 2 during a naval exercise approximately 18 nautical miles west of San Clemente Island, California.
Recovery efforts were initially delayed by adverse weather conditions and further complicated when the battery powering the torpedo’s location beacon expired.
An oceanographic analysis indicated that prevailing winds and surface currents between San Diego and Ensenada carried the unpowered unit south into Mexico’s Exclusive Economic Zone, where Mexican maritime patrols ultimately spotted it.
After verifying the weapon’s origin through diplomatic and military channels, the commander of Mexico’s Second Naval Zone formally handed the torpedo over to representatives from the U.S. Naval Attaché Office in Mexico.
Designed specifically for launch exercises from surface ships and aircraft, the MK 54 REXTORP contains no explosives or live warheads, allowing naval forces to simulate attacks without risking actual weaponry.
