Russia has disclosed details of a new, deadly high-speed underwater missile 'Shkval-E', suspected to have sunk the Kursk submarine, and against which the US is understood to have limited defence. The missile, which is fired from a torpedo tube, travels underwater at a speed of 320 to 358 km per hour, three to four times faster than conventional torpedoes.

Shkval-E is identified in a newly published encyclopaedia of Russian naval weapons as a high-velocity underwater missile capable of sinking surface ships, protecting ports and blocking straits, a newspaper report said in Washington on Thursday.
According to US intelligence officials, one among several theories about the August 12 Kursk accident is that the Russian attack submarine sank after a Shkval, which in Russian means Squall, exploded during a test.
According to US officials, China's military is interested in purchasing Shkval missiles for use against US aircraft carriers and ships in the event of a conflict with America over Taiwan. Bureau Report