"Precision Guide" Science Kaleidoscope (82) "Hidden" Master - Tricks of Special Mine

The popular domestic spy drama "Hidden" in 2009 tells the story of Yu Zecheng, a member of the intelligence department of the Kuomintang Military Intelligence Bureau, who turned from the dark to the light and became an underground party member lurking in the Military Intelligence Bureau. Yu Zecheng's performance as a master of hiding left a deep impression on the audience.

Among the underwater weapons family, there is a kind of weapon equipment that can be called a "hidden" master, that is, special mines. The underwater world is mysterious and unpredictable, and special mines are hidden there. As a new type of mine with special combat performance, special mines can improve the safety of mine-laying submarines and the suddenness of attacking targets.

Let’s see how these special mines are hidden and how they launch attacks.

Self-propelled mines, also known as self-propelled mines. The most concealed method of modern mine laying is submarine mine laying. For this reason, many countries have developed self-propelled mines that can pass through enemy anti-submarine facilities. The so-called self-propelled means that a mine-laying submarine can launch a mine from the submarine's torpedo tube 10 kilometers away from the predetermined mine-laying waters. The mine relies on its own power device to sail a certain distance and reach the predetermined waters. After reaching the destination, it becomes a bottom mine or anchor mine. The depth of the bottom mine waters generally does not exceed 60 meters, and the depth of the anchor mine waters can range from a few meters to several thousand meters. Self-propelled mines are mainly used to conceal mine laying in strictly defended waters to carry out sudden attacks on targets.

Typical equipment includes the US MK67 self-propelled mine, which has a diameter of 485mm, a length of 4.09m, a speed of 23.8kn, a range of 8250m, a maximum deployment depth of 100m, and a charge of 230kg.

Figure｜US MK67 self-propelled mine

Figure｜Schematic diagram of MK67 self-propelled mine combat

A water torpedo, also known as a self-guided torpedo, is a type of lurking torpedo that is a torpedo encapsulated in a sea mine body and laid out as a sea mine. It looks like a sea mine, but it actually attacks submarine targets in the form of a torpedo.

Typical equipment includes the US MK60 self-guided mine and the Russian ΠMK-2 anti-submarine torpedo system. The US Navy began to equip the MK60 self-guided mine in 1977. The mine has a total weight of 908 kg, a length of 3.68 meters, a diameter of 533 mm, a maximum deployment depth of 760 meters, and a warhead of the MK46-4 light self-guided torpedo.

Figure｜US MK60 self-guided mine

Floating mines also use the appearance of mines to cover themselves. Rockets that attack targets are encapsulated in the shell of the mines and deployed in the form of anchor mines on the bottom of the water. Through the physical field of the ship, the rocket engine automatically ignites, the mine body floats up, and the rocket performs the task of attacking the target. Typical equipment is the Russian PMK-1 anti-submarine mine, which is laid at a depth of 200 to 400 meters, with a floating speed of 100 knots, and uses active and passive sonar systems to detect, identify and track targets. When the mine detects the target, the attack trajectory can be calculated based on the depth of the mine and the target's course. The mine is charged with 350 kilograms of explosives, and it explodes underwater, so its strike power is not weaker than that of heavy anti-ship missiles.

Missile mines also use a trick to deceive people. A missile is encapsulated in the body of the mine, which is deployed as a mine and attacked as a missile. It looks like a mine, but it is actually a missile. A typical equipment is the Italian MAFOS2 mine. (Source: National University of Defense Technology "Science Popularization China" co-construction base)