CHAPTER 8
MECHANICAL MINESWEEPING
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
1. State the principles and the objective of mechanical minesweeping.
2. Describe the operation of mechanical minesweeping equipment.
3. Recall the various types of mechanical minesweeping.
The objective of mechanical minesweeping is to cut
INTRODUCTION
the mooring cable of the mine. This causes the mine to
Minesweeping equipment can be subdivided into
float to the surface, where it can be either exploited or
two basictypes: mechanical and influence. Mechanical
neutralized.
gear depends upon physical contact between the sweep
and the mine or its attachments. Influence gear
The standard moored sweep, or OROPESA, is
referred to as the "O"-type. Variations of the
(acoustic/magnetic) is designed to actuate influence
mines by simulating the influence signature of a ship
standard gear are designed to counter mines at
(magnetic, acoustic, pressure, or a combination of two
very deep or very shallow depths. The basic prin-
or more such influences).
ciples of "O"-type gear are illustrated in figure 8-1.
Figure 8-1.--Moored minesweeping.
8-1