Transcript Mine Warfare - University of Arizona

Mine Warfare
Mine Warfare
Different than other weapons systems
Target comes to the weapon
Weapons system activated (planted)
without a specific target detected.
Don’t have to be there for it to work.
Can be crude and still be VERY effective
Requires advanced planning
History of Mine Warfare

Revolutionary War
• Powder keg covered in tar which hung from a
float ~1776

Civil War
• Large scale mining of land and sea
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World War II
• 23,000 mines laid sinking or damaging 1,075
Japanese ships

Vietnam War
• Extensive mining of inland waterways
History
 U.S.
has considerably reduced the use of
mines since the end of the Cold War
 Operation Desert Storm

Need for a rapid clearing of shallow water
minefields
U.S. vs. MINES
What It Takes To Go”Anytime, Anywhere” by Rear Adm. Horne,
Proceedings, Jan 1998
USS Tripoli (LPH-10)
USS Princeton (CG 59)
“Bad Day at Sea”
USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58)
USS Samuel B. Roberts
Not just ships……
The Mission Of Mine Warfare

Detect and Avoid or Eliminate mine threat
(Mine Countermeasures (MCM))

“Mining is also a force multiplier in today’s
and tomorrow’s conflict scenarios....”
- Force 2001
Classification of Mines

By method of delivery

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Air-delivered mines
Surface-delivered mines
Submarine-delivered mines
By position in the water
after delivery



Moored mines
Bottom mines
Drifting mines
Classification of Mines
 By


method of activation
Contact Mines
Influence Mines
•
•
•
•
Magnetic
Acoustic
Pressure
Combination
Typical Moored Mine
Arming
Device
Magnetometer
Anchor
Firing System
Components
Mechanism
Section
Explosive
Section
Typical Bottom Mine
Nose
Fairing
Search
Coil
Spoiler
Arming
Device
Explosive
Charge
Release
Mechanism
Firing System
Components
Tail Fin
Parachute
Pack
U.S. Mines
MK – 56
 MK – 60 CAPTOR


MK 62/63 Quickstrike
 Mk – 67 SLMM
MK – 56/57
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

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
Oldest ASW Mine still in use
Moored mine
Designed for use against high
speed and deep-operating subs
MK–56 – aircraft delivered
MK–57 – submarine delivered
MK-60
Navy’s only deep
water mine
 Moored
 Releases a
torpedo

MK – 62/63

Shallow water
 Air launched
 Variable TDD (Target
detection device)


Magnetic/seismic
Emerging Threats
MK - 67

Sub Launched


“Clandestine Mine”
Shallow water
 Bottom mine
 Subs/surface ships
Improved SLMM
Minefield Planning Objectives
Type of Minefield
Offensive
Defensive
Protective
Environmental Consideration
Geographic location
Water depth
Currents
Bottom type and slope
Prevailing sea state
What type of Mine do I use?
Delivering the Mines
Delivery Considerations
Type of Minefield
How many mines needed
Is the area defended
What type of mines needed
How accurate the placement
Platforms Available
Aircraft (P-3 & S-3)
Surface ships
Submarine (Attack)
How Do I Plant the Mines?
Mine Counter Measures
 Why?

Critical to control battlespace
 Includes



Locate
Neutralize
ID areas without mines
 Goal

Avoid or neutralize the threat
• Passive
• Active
Mine Countermeasures (MCM)

Self-Protection

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Silencing – acoustic mines
Degaussing - magnetic mines
Steaming slowly – pressure mines
Clearing/Removing Mines

Mine sweeping – neutralize large area
• Cut cables then activate to destroy (moored mines)
• Use acoustic/magnetic noisemakers to activate

Mine hunting – search and neutralize individual mines
• Search area for objects that look like mines
• Use sonar then investigate every possible target.
Mine sweepers
 MCM- Avenger

Class
Fiberglass-wood construction
• Wood covered in glass reinforced sheathing
Mine Hunter
 MHC

Osprey Class
Coastal Mine hunter
Glass Reinforced Plastic
construction (mono-hull)
Mine sweepers

MH-53E Sea Stallion


drags sled
clears magnetic and
acoustic mines
Mine Hunting Techniques
 VHF Active
 EOD
 UUV
Sonar
Navy Seals & Sea Lions
Navy Whales & Dolphins
Built in Mine
Hunter
What It Takes To
Go”Anytime, Anywhere”
by Rear Adm. Horne,
Proceedings, Jan 1998
Questions???