MINE COUNTERMEASURES (ORTHODOX SYSTEM)
SLIDE 78
Take something like mine
countermeasures, for example. Finding and destroying mines -- particularly those
placed on the bottom in relatively shallow areas such as ports and rivers -- is a
really tough problem.
Presently it’s often done as
portrayed on this slide.
Here a minehunter ship uses an
underwater sonar to locate the mine, or what resembles a mine. Then it directs a submersible robot vehicle to proceed over to the object and examine it with an underwater television camera. If
it’s a mine, the submersible places a remotely-operated charge beside it. then chugs away.
When it reaches a safe distance away, the charge is exploded, causing the mine to detonate.
A very painful process. Very time
consuming, and very
difficult.