Strategy use in "The Hunt for Red October"

In the latter part of the movie, while the Soviets were hunting for the Red October (it is large nuclear powered submarine) whose Captain acted by Sean Connery, the Soviets fired a torpedo towards the submarine.   Sean Connery asked Alec Baldwin, a CIA agent to handle the helm and directed him to turn the submarine towards the torpedo which was some 6,000 yards away.  The staff at the conn were aghast at the bold and brash action.  Sean Connery was cool as the staff counted the distance and time of the impact of the torpedo.   And the torpedo crashed and disintegrated harmlessly at the hull of the Red October.

How?

By driving the submarine fast direct into the path of the torpedo, the torpedo was unable to arm itself to explode  (the distance and time to impact was shortened).  Brilliant, eh.