MineCountermeasuresMCM
Self-Protection. 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. To counter the threat of mines: a. To protect from acoustic mines make the ship run quiet. b. To protect from magnetic mines, minimize the ship’s magnetic field. - Periodically wrap ship in wires and neutralize the magnetic field. - Process known as degaussing. Must measure ship’s magnetic. signature periodically and monitor it. c. To protect from pressure or seismic activated mines, steam slowly. Can remove mines. To do this involves finding the mines and destroying them. by detonating them safely. a. Mine Sweeping is done to neutralize a large area. b. Sweeping for moored mines involves cutting the mooring cable and. letting mines float to the surface where they are destroyed. c. Acoustic and Magnetic mines are detonated by dragging noisemakers. through the water which causes the mines to detonate. Mine hunting is way to find mines. Usually done with sonar, then sent individually to investigate any possible target. Could be a refrigerator or other junk. Add: U.S. has detailed bottom survey of harbors so if suspected they are mined and easily identify new objects.

New Mine countermeasure technologies  to detect and neutralize stealthy, smart and lethal sea mines

More than thirty countries produce mines, and twenty countries export them. Iran has reportedly laid several thousand naval mines, North Korea’s 50,000, China 100,000 or so, and Russia estimated quarter-million. Since World War II, sea mines have damaged or sunk four times more U.S. Navy ships than all other means of attack combined, according to a Navy report on mine warfare.

 

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