"In the mid-1950's, the Italian Navy developed its own heavyweight anti-submarine weapon as G62ef Canguro (Kangaroo) in which the old 21 inch G6e torpedo was tipped with a Mark 44 lightweight torpedo. By the late 1960's, this weapon was reaching the end of its useful life and in 1971 a staff requirement was issued for a replacement.

The new weapon was developed by Whitehead Motofides (now Whitehead) as the A 184 with the prototype being produced and tested from 1973. Production began in 1974; initially for Italian submarines but later for surface ships.

In the late 1980's, the A 184 was trialled for the US Navy's low-cost Anti-Surface Warfare Torpedo (ASuWT) programme. Although the trials were successfully concluded, the US Navy decided not to proceed with the programme.

In 1998 Whitehead revealed it was developing an upgraded version of A 184 as A 184 Advanced for the Italian Navy, although by February 1999 this weapon was renamed Black Shark. The weapon features a new seeker, which has been tested since the summer of 1998.