Mark 60 CAPTOR
Mark 60 mine being loaded into a B-52 Stratofortress at Loring Air Force Base in 1989
TypeAntisubmarine naval mine[1][2][3]
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1979-2001[1]
Used byUnited States Navy
WarsCold War
Production history
DesignerGoodyear Aerospace[3]
ManufacturerGoodyear Aerospace[3]
Unit costUS $113,000 (FY78)
US $377,000 (FY86)[3]
Produced1978-1986[3]
VariantsMine Mk 66, Mk 46 Mod 5 (NEARTIP)
Specifications
MassAircraft/ship-laid:1,077 kg (2,374 lb)[1]
Submarine-laid:935 kg (2,061 lb)[1]
LengthAircraft/ship-laid:3.68 m (145 in)[1]
Submarine-laid:3.35 m (132 in)[1]
Diameter530 mm (21 in)[1]
Effective firing range8,000 yards (7,300 m)[2]
WarheadMark 46 torpedo
Warhead weight44 kg (97 lb), PBXN-103
EngineTwo-speed, reciprocating external combustion
PropellantOtto fuel II
Maximum depth1,000 feet (300 m)
Maximum speed >28 knots (52 km/h)
Guidance
system
Active or passive/active acoustic homing, snake or circle search, reliable acoustic path (RAP) sound propagation[2][1][3]
Launch
platform
Aircraft, surface ship and submarines[2][1][3]

The Mark 60 CAPTOR (Encapsulated Torpedo) is the United States' only deep-water anti-submarine naval mine.[4][3][2] It uses a Mark 46 torpedo[2][3] contained in an aluminum shell that is anchored to the ocean floor.[2] The mine can be placed by either aircraft, submarine or surface vessel.[2][3] The torpedo, once placed, can last anywhere from weeks to months underwater.[3] The original production contract of the CAPTOR mine was awarded to Goodyear Aerospace in 1972, and entered service in 1979.[3] It was hoped to reduce minefield costs and used in the creation of a barrier of the "Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap to interrupt Soviet submarines in the event that deterrence failed."[4]

The mine uses Reliable Acoustic Path (RAP)[2][1] sound propagation to passively identify and track the difference between hostile submarine signatures, surface vessels and friendly submarines.[3] Once identified, the torpedo leaves its casing to destroy its target.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DiGiulian, Tony. "Mines of the United States of America - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Mk 60 Captor Mine | VP-4 Association". www.vp4association.com. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "U.S. Naval Mines - Captor program". www.hartshorn.us. Archived from the original on 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  4. 1 2 "Naval Mines and Mining: Innovating in the Face of Benign Neglect". Center for International Maritime Security. 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2017-04-22.

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