The most dangerous domestic sea mines. Bottom mines: the most dangerous naval weapon Depth mines of the Second World War

Domestic developments of naval mine weapons entered the history of world wars. The arsenal of our troops included mines that had no analogues in the world before. We have collected facts about the most formidable specimens from different times.

"Sugar" threat

One of the most formidable pre-war mines created in our country is the M-26, which has a charge of 250 kilograms. An anchor mine with a mechanical impact fuse was developed in 1920. Its 1912 prototype had an explosive mass two and a half times less. Due to the increase in charge, the shape of the mine body was changed - from spherical to spherocylindrical.

The big advantage of the new development was that the mine was located horizontally on the trolley anchor: this made it easier to place. True, the short length of the minerep (the cable for attaching the mine to the anchor and holding it at a certain distance from the surface of the water) limited the use of this weapon in the Black and Sea of ​​Japan.

The 1926 model mine became the most massive of all those used by the Soviet Navy during the Great Patriotic War. By the beginning of hostilities, our country had almost 27 thousand such devices.

Another breakthrough pre-war development of domestic gunsmiths was the large ship-borne galvanic impact mine KB, which was used, among other things, as an anti-submarine weapon. For the first time in the world, safety cast-iron caps were used on it, which were automatically released in the water. They covered the galvanic impact elements (mine horns). It is curious that the caps were fixed to the body using a pin and a steel strap with a sugar fuse. Before installing the mine, the pin was removed, and then, once in place, the line also unraveled - thanks to the melting of the sugar. The weapon became military.

In 1941, the design bureau mines were equipped with a flooding valve, which allowed the device to self-flood in the event of separation from the anchor. This ensured the safety of domestic ships that were in close proximity to the defensive barriers. At the beginning of the war, it was the most advanced contact ship mine for its time. The naval arsenals had almost eight thousand such samples.

In total, more than 700 thousand different mines were placed on sea lanes during the war. They destroyed 20 percent of all ships and vessels of the warring countries.

Revolutionary breakthrough

In the post-war years, domestic developers continued to fight for primacy. In 1957, they created the world's first self-propelled underwater missile - the KRM pop-up rocket mine, which became the basis for the creation of a fundamentally new class of weapons - RM-1, RM-2 and PRM.

A passive-active acoustic system was used as a separator in the KRM mine: it detected and classified the target, gave the command to separate the warhead and start the jet engine. The weight of the explosive was 300 kilograms. The device could be installed at a depth of up to one hundred meters; it was not trawled by acoustic contact trawls, including bottom trawls. The launch was carried out from surface ships - destroyers and cruisers.

In 1957, the development of a new rocket-propelled mine began for deployment from both ships and aircraft, and therefore the country's leadership decided not to produce a large number of KRM mines. Its creators were nominated for the USSR State Prize. This device made a real revolution: the design of the KRM mine radically influenced the further development of domestic naval mine weapons and the development of ballistic and cruise missiles with underwater launch and trajectory.

No analogues

In the 60s, the Union began the creation of fundamentally new mine systems - attacking mine-missiles and mine-torpedoes. About ten years later, the PMR-1 and PMR-2 anti-submarine mine-missiles, which had no foreign analogues, were adopted into service by the navy.

Another breakthrough was the PMT-1 anti-submarine torpedo mine. It had a two-channel target detection and classification system, launched in a horizontal position from a sealed container of the warhead (anti-submarine electric torpedo), and was used at a depth of up to 600 meters. The development and testing of the new weapon took nine years: the new torpedo mine was adopted by the Navy in 1972. The development team was awarded the USSR State Prize. The creators literally became pioneers: for the first time in domestic mine engineering, they applied the modular design principle and used the electrical connection of components and equipment elements. This solved the problem of protecting explosive circuits from high frequency currents.

The groundwork obtained during the development and testing of the PMT-1 mine served as an impetus for the creation of new, more advanced models. Thus, in 1981, gunsmiths completed work on the first domestic universal anti-submarine torpedo mine. It was only slightly inferior in some tactical and technical characteristics to the similar American device "Captor", surpassing it in the depth of its deployment. Thus, according to domestic experts, at least until the mid-70s, there were no such mines in service with the navies of the leading world powers.

The UDM-2 universal bottom mine, put into service in 1978, was designed to destroy ships and submarines of all classes. The versatility of this weapon was evident in everything: it was deployed both from ships and from aircraft (military and transport), and, in the latter case, without a parachute system. If a mine landed in shallow water or land, it self-destructed. The weight of the UDM-2 charge was 1350 kilograms.

Mine weapons in naval warfare

Captain 1st Rank Yu. Kravchenko

Sea mines are one of the most important weapons in naval warfare. They are designed to destroy warships and vessels, as well as to hinder their actions by creating a mine threat in certain areas (zones) of oceanic and maritime theaters of war and on inland waterways.

Mines were widely used by warring parties in naval combat in armed conflicts of various sizes. Their most widespread use took place during two world wars, which resulted in significant losses in warships and merchant ships.

During the First World War, approximately 309,000 mines were deployed in naval theaters. Allied and neutral losses from German mines (39,000) amounted to more than 50 warships, 225 naval auxiliary vessels and about 600 transports. The Entente countries were forced to invest huge amounts of money and make significant efforts to combat the mine threat. By the end of the war, the British Navy alone had over 700 minesweepers. The British fleet laid 128,000 mines, half of them in German-controlled waters.

During the war, large mine-laying operations were carried out, including joint efforts of coalition allies, with the aim of blocking the forces of the German fleet in the North Sea, primarily its submarines. Thus, the large northern barrier, created in 1918, had a length (from the Orkney Islands to the coast of Norway) of about 240 miles and a depth of 15 to 35 miles. More than 70,000 mines were deployed there by the United States and Great Britain. In total, about 150 enemy warships were lost to Allied mines (195,000), including 48 submarines.

The Second World War was distinguished by an even greater scale of the use of mine weapons, both in terms of expanding the area of ​​their use and in terms of an increase in the number of mines deployed (over 650,000). New mines based on the operating principle have appeared, their power has increased, the deployment depth has increased from 400 to 600 m, and the stability of mines against trawling has significantly increased. Only as a result of the laying of 263,000 mines by Great Britain in European waters (186 thousand in its coastal and 76 thousand in enemy waters), 1050 ships and vessels were killed and about 540 were damaged. Germany fielded 126,000 mines in this war, mostly in European waters. Allied losses amounted to about 300 warships up to and including the destroyer, as well as over 500 merchant ships.

Submarines and especially aviation were widely involved in laying minefields. The increased capabilities of aviation have significantly expanded the scope of the use of these weapons. An example of the massive use of mines is Operation Starvation, when US aircraft, from the end of March 1945, placed 12,000 mines on Japanese sea lanes in less than five months. On the night of March 27 alone, 99 B-29 aircraft from the 20th Bomber Command laid about 1,000 mines in the Shimonoseki Strait. This was the first time such a mass deployment by aviation had been carried out. As a result, up to 670 Japanese ships were sunk or damaged, that is, almost 75 percent. of all merchant tonnage available at the end of March 1945. During the operation, strategic bombers flew 1,529 sorties, losing 15 aircraft. Minefields practically paralyzed commercial shipping in the coastal waters of Japan, which significantly affected the state of the country's economy. In total, in World War II, on 25,000 mines laid by the United States, the Japanese lost 1,075 warships and vessels with a total tonnage of 2,289,146 tons sunk and damaged. This type of weapon was widely used in subsequent local wars and conflicts.

There are many types of mines, but their design is basically the same. A mine consists of a body, an explosive charge, a fuse, special devices (urgency, multiplicity, self-destruction and others), a power source, devices that ensure installation of the mine at a given depression from the surface of the water or on the ground, and also for some types - her movement. The carriers (layers) of mines are surface ships, submarines (Fig. 1), and aircraft. According to the principle of operation of the fuse, they are divided into contact and non-contact, according to the method of preserving the place of installation - into anchor (Fig. 2), bottom and floating, according to the degree of mobility - into self-propelled and stationary. Once laid, mines (minefields) can be unguided or controlled.

Most modern sea mines in the arsenal of the fleets of capitalist states have proximity fuses. They are triggered when a ship or vessel passes at a certain distance from a mine under the influence of one or more physical fields (acoustic, magnetic, hydrodynamic and others). According to this principle, proximity mines are divided into acoustic, magnetic, induction, and hydrodynamic.

Currently, sea mines of various designs and purposes are produced in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, etc. niya and a number of other countries (Fig. 3). One of the most modern American mines is the Mk60 Captor. It is a combination of the Mk46 torpedo mod. 4 with a mine device and can be installed at depths of up to 800 m; the detection range of the detection system is 1000-1500 m. An example of a self-transporting mine is the Mk67 SLMM (Submarine - Launched Mobile Mine), developed in the USA on the basis of the Mk37 torpedo. After firing from the submarine’s torpedo tube, it independently reaches the intended deployment point, which can be located at a distance of up to 20 km from the carrier.

In the UK, seabed non-contact mines “Sea Uchin” and “Stone Fish” were created. The first is designed to destroy both underwater and surface targets. Its fuse can respond to changes in magnetic, acoustic and hydrodynamic (or combinations thereof) fields that arise in the area where the mine is installed as a result of a ship passing over it. Depending on the size and nature of the targets against which these mines are deployed, they can be equipped with explosive charges weighing 250, 500 and 750 kg. The depth of the mine is up to 90 m, its carriers are surface ships, submarines and aircraft. The weight of the Stonefish, depending on the amount of explosives, is 205-900 kg.

In Italy, the development and production of modern bottom mines is carried out by MISAR (MANTA, MR-80, Fig. 4), Voltek (VS SMG00) and Whitehead Motofaces (MP900/1, TAR6, TAR16). A typical example of an anchor mine developed and produced in Sweden by Bofors is the K11, also known as MM180. It is designed to combat surface ships and submarines of small and medium displacement. Explosive mass 80 kg, deployment depth from 20 to 200 m. The same company developed the original ROCAN bottom mine, which, due to its special hydrodynamic shapes, can, after being dropped from the carrier, move away from it in a horizontal plane to a distance equal to twice the depth of the sea at this point (hull mines are designed for a depth of up to 100 m, the minimum setting depth is 5 m).

Recently, a mine was created in Denmark, similar in principle to the American Mk60 Captor. Its main elements are: a container with a small-sized torpedo, an anchor device and equipment for a target detection and classification system that responds to changes in acoustic and magnetic fields. After detecting and classifying the target (the main purpose of the mine is to fight against mine-resistant ships), a torpedo is launched, which is aimed at the target using the radiation of a working mine detection sonar. The adoption of such a mine into service by the fleets of capitalist states can significantly increase the anti-mine resistance of the minefields they deploy.
Along with the creation of new types of mines, significant attention is paid to improving naval mines of outdated types (installation of new fuses, use of more powerful explosives). Thus, in Great Britain, old Mk12 mines were equipped with fuses similar to those found on modern sea-based Sea Uchin mines. All this allows previously accumulated mine reserves to be maintained at the current level* .

Mine weapons have an important combat property - they have a long-lasting effect on the enemy, creating a constant threat to the navigation of his ships and vessels in mined areas of the sea. It allows you to free up forces to solve other problems, it can reduce the size of an area blocked by other forces, or temporarily close it completely. Mines dramatically change the operational situation in a theater of war and give an advantage to the side that used them in gaining and maintaining supremacy at sea.

Mines are a universal weapon and are capable of hitting not only military targets, but also effectively affecting the country’s economy and military production. The massive use of mine weapons can significantly disrupt or completely interrupt sea and ocean transportation. Mine weapons can be an instrument of precisely calculated military pressure (in a certain situation, it is possible to block a naval base or port for a certain period of time in order to demonstrate to the enemy the effect of a possible blockade).

Mines are a fairly “flexible” type of weapon in terms of their use. The side laying mines can either openly announce it to exert a psychological influence on the enemy, or organize the laying of a minefield covertly to achieve surprise and inflict maximum damage on enemy forces.

Foreign military experts believe that any issues related to mine laying should be considered in the context of the general views of the NATO command on the conduct of war, and in particular on the conduct of naval operations. In relation to the Atlantic theater of war, the main task that will be solved with the start of hostilities of the bloc's Allied Forces in the theater will be to gain supremacy at sea in the interests of ensuring the protection of transatlantic communications connecting the United States of America with Europe. Violation of them will have the most serious impact on the possibilities of waging war in Europe. As emphasized in the foreign press, without the timely transfer of reinforcement forces, weapons, military equipment and logistics equipment to the continent, the NATO Allied Forces group will be able to conduct combat operations for no more than 30 days. It is also noted that during the first six months of the conflict in Western Europe, ocean transportation should ensure the delivery from the United States of over 1.5 million personnel, about 8.5 million tons of weapons, military equipment and supplies, as well as 15 million. tons of fuels and lubricants. According to NATO experts, to achieve this goal, it is necessary that from 800 to 1000 ships with military cargo and 1500 with economic cargo (minerals, food, etc.) arrive at European ports monthly.

This extremely important task for the Alliance must be achieved through a strategic operation in the ocean theater of war. It will include a series of interconnected NATO operations in terms of objectives, location and time to gain dominance in the Norwegian and Barents Seas (destroying enemy fleet forces and preventing them from entering the Atlantic to disrupt communications), in coastal European waters (ensuring the arrival of ships with forces on the continent reinforcements), in the central part of the ocean (destruction of enemy force groups that have broken through) and in waters adjacent to the Atlantic coast of the United States (covering coastal communications, protecting ports, loading areas and convoy formation). In all these operations, mine weapons must play an important role. In addition, it will be widely used in solving other tasks - blockade of the enemy’s ports and naval bases, strait zones and bottlenecks in order to disrupt the operational deployment of his forces, and primarily strategic ones; blocking enemy fleets in the closed seas (Black and Baltic); disruption of its sea and river communications; the creation of a regime unfavorable for the enemy in the theater, making it difficult for him to conduct not only operations, but also daily combat activities and causing a significant strain of forces and resources, additional consumption of material and human resources due to the need for constant implementation of mine defense measures; preventing the enemy from entering certain areas of the naval theater, covering one’s ports and naval bases, landing areas of the coast from attacks from the sea, and a number of others.

Minefields can be deployed during daily combat activities and during various naval operations. If it is necessary to lay large minefields in a relatively short period of time, special minelaying operations are organized and carried out.

According to the NATO classification, minefields, depending on the areas of deployment, can be active (placed in waters controlled by the enemy), barrier (in neutral waters) and defensive (in their own waters), according to the tasks being solved - operational and tactical scale, according to the number of mines in fence - minefields and mine banks. Depending on the depths of the sea available for mine laying, shallow-water areas (20-20.0 m), medium-depth (200-400 m) and deep-water (over 400 m) are distinguished.

The role of mine weapons in gaining dominance of the combined NATO naval forces in the Barents and Norwegian Seas is highly appreciated. The laying of active minefields is supposed to be carried out 1-3 days before the start of hostilities in order to destroy the forces of the enemy fleet, primarily submarines, prevent the deployment of its naval groups into the Atlantic, disrupt coastal communications, create an unfavorable regime in the theater, and support landing operations. Anti-submarine minefields (active and barrier) will be placed at naval bases and bases, at anti-submarine lines (North Cape - Bear Island, Greenland Island - Iceland - Faroe Islands - Shetland Islands - coast of Norway), as well as in SSBN combat patrol areas. Defensive minefields are intended to be used to protect coastal sea communications, cover amphibious accessible sections of the coast in Northern Norway, and unloading areas for convoys arriving at the North European theater of operations with reinforcement troops, weapons, military equipment and logistics equipment.

Foreign military experts believe that the enemy will widely use mine weapons in coastal European waters: in the North Sea, the Baltic Strait zone, the English Channel, primarily with the aim of disrupting ocean shipping to Europe. Combating the mine threat in these areas will be one of the main tasks for the joint NATO naval forces. At the same time, NATO headquarters are developing plans for the active use of mine weapons in operations and combat operations to disrupt enemy sea communications in the Baltic Sea, destroy fleet groups of Warsaw Pact countries, blockade the strait zone, and protect their communications. For mine laying, it is planned to widely involve submarines capable of secretly placing mines in close proximity to the enemy’s coast, as well as aviation. Light surface forces (minesweepers, missile and torpedo boats), minelayers will be used to lay defensive minefields in order to block the strait zone to prevent the breakthrough of ship groupings of the Warsaw Pact fleets from the Baltic Sea to the Atlantic, to protect ports and coastal communications and cover landing forces. accessible areas of the coast. As emphasized in the Western press, when conducting combat operations in the Baltic and North Seas, “mine laying plays an important role as an effective element of naval warfare against the threat from a potential enemy.”

The use of mine weapons in the Mediterranean Sea will be determined by the tasks solved by the strike and combined NATO naval forces in the theater of operations, the main of which will be the following: gaining and maintaining dominance in certain areas of the sea, establishing a blockade of the Black Sea and Gibraltar Straits, ensuring convoys with reinforcement troops and various items Logistics, conducting amphibious operations, protecting your communications. Taking into account the tasks to be solved, as well as the physical and geographical conditions of the Mediterranean Sea, the most likely areas for laying minefields are the Gibraltar, Tunisian, Maltese, Messina and Black Sea Straits, the Aegean Sea, coastal zones on the approaches to naval bases, ports and landing areas of the coast.

Laying minefields can be carried out by aircraft, submarines and surface ships. Each type of force involved for these purposes has both positive and negative properties. That is why the laying of minefields should be carried out, depending on the goals, objectives, place and time, either by one type of force or by several.

Rice. b. Loading mines onto a Project 206 submarine and container device MWA-09

Rice. 7. Swedish clay minelayer “Elvsborg”

Rice. 8. Japanese minelayer “Soya” (full displacement 3050 tons. Takes on board up to 460 mines)

Rice. 9. Laying mines from a US Navy Knox-class frigate

Rice. 10. Laying mines from a boat

Aviation is capable of laying mines in enemy waters and areas of oceans (sea) remote from bases in short periods of time with fairly high accuracy and regardless of meteorological conditions. It will be used, as a rule, for massive mining of large areas of water.

The United States has the greatest ability among NATO countries to lay mines from the air. For this purpose, it is possible to use aircraft of various types: strategic bombers B-52 and B-1B, carrier-based attack aircraft A-6E "Intruder" and A-7E "Corsair", anti-submarine aircraft S-3A and B "Viking", basic patrol aircraft R- ZS "Orion", as well as attract military transport aircraft C-130 "Hercules" (Fig. 5), C-141 "Starlifter" and C-5 "Galaxy", modernized under the CAML (Cargo Aircraft Minelaying) program.

The largest number of mines can be carried on board by the B-52 strategic bombers (from 30 to 51 Mk52 and MkZ6 bottom mines, respectively, or 18 Mk60 Captor deep-sea anti-submarine mines, or 18 Mk64 and 65 of the Quickstrike family) and B-1B (84,250 -kg bottom mines MkZ6). The combat radius of such aircraft, taking into account one refueling in the air, makes it possible to lay mines in almost any area of ​​the World Ocean.

The mine load of the basic patrol aircraft R-ZS "Orion" is 18 mines MkZ6, 40 and 62 (weighing 230-260 kg each), or 11 Mk52 (about 500 kg), or seven Mk55, 56, 57, 60, 41, 64 and 65 (up to 1000 kg). The deck-based attack aircraft A-6E "Intruder" and A-7E "Corsair" on underwing hardpoints deliver five and six mines weighing 900-1000 kg, respectively, to the deployment area, and the anti-submarine aircraft S-3A "Viking" in the minelayer version takes on board two 1000 kg mines and four weighing up to 250 kg. When assessing the capabilities of US Navy carrier aviation to lay minefields, foreign military experts proceed from the following factors: the air wing based on a multi-purpose aircraft carrier (86 aircraft and helicopters) has about 40 percent. carriers of mine weapons, including 20 A-6E Intruder medium attack aircraft and 10 S-3A and B Viking anti-submarine aircraft, and the basic patrol aircraft of the US Navy (regular forces) includes 24 squadrons (216 aircraft).

Taking into account the long range and speed of aircraft, their efficiency in laying minefields, the ability to lay mines in areas that are inaccessible for a number of reasons to surface ships and submarines, as well as the ability to reinforce previously laid minefields in a fairly short time, aviation when conducting combat operations in in modern conditions it will be one of the main carriers of mine weapons. Among the disadvantages of aviation as a carrier of mines, foreign experts include the relatively low secrecy of its mine laying. To disguise the fact that approaches to ports, naval bases, narrow passages, fairways, and communications nodes are being mined, it is possible to launch simultaneous missile and bomb attacks on enemy targets located in the same area.

Submarines, due to their inherent qualities, have the ability to secretly lay mines in the most important places, and also, while remaining in the area of ​​the minefield, monitor it in order to determine its effectiveness and develop the success achieved through the use of torpedo weapons. Operating alone, they can be effectively used to deploy small active minefields (cans) on the approaches to naval bases, ports, in enemy communications nodes, in narrow areas, and on anti-submarine lines.

For these purposes, it is planned to attract both nuclear-powered multi-purpose and diesel submarines. They lay mines mainly using torpedo tubes; it is also possible to use mounted external devices for this. American nuclear attack submarines (with the exception of Los Angeles-class submarines) can be used as minelayers, taking on board instead of part of the torpedoes, PLUR SABROC or Harpoon anti-ship missiles the Mk60 Captor, Mk67 SLMM, Mk52, 55 and 56.

The main disadvantages of submarines as carriers of mine weapons is that they are capable of carrying only a limited number of mines. To eliminate this drawback to some extent, special attachments have been created for certain types of submarines. Thus, the German Navy has a similar device for Project 206 submarines, designated MWA-09 (Fig. 6). It consists of two containers with a capacity of 12 mines, which, if necessary, are attached by the crew in the base on the side to the hull of the boat in its bow. Mine placement can be carried out underwater at speeds up to 12 knots. With the use of the MWA-09 device, the ammunition load of mines for submarines of this project should increase from 16 to 40 units, that is, 2.5 times (provided that mines are loaded into torpedo tubes instead of torpedoes).

Historically, the main carriers of mine weapons are surface ships. Based on the experience of armed conflicts, they placed primarily defensive minefields. This was due to the fact that the involvement of surface ships to lay mines in waters controlled by the enemy required the allocation of special forces to provide cover, as well as the organization of navigation support.

In future conflicts at sea, the navies of NATO countries are expected to use both specially built minelayers (Germany, Norway, see color insert, Denmark, Turkey, Greece) and warships of various classes, including auxiliary vessels, sometimes transports and ferries . Minelayers are also part of the Swedish (Fig. 7) and Japanese (Fig. 8) navies. They are capable of taking on board a large number of mines, for example, the West German mine transport of the Sachsenwald type, having a total displacement of 3380 tons, can deploy from 400 to 800 mines at sea, depending on their type.

However, there are relatively few special minelayers, and therefore high-speed warships (destroyers, frigates), missile and torpedo boats will be involved in large-scale mine laying. Much attention is paid to the preparation of surface ships for use as minelayers in the navies of European NATO countries. Thus, almost all warships and boats of the West German fleet are adapted for mine laying. New ships are also built with this in mind. For example, high-speed minesweepers of the Hameln type entering the fleet can take on board up to 60 mines. On surface ships of the US Navy there are no stationary rail tracks designed for receiving and laying mines, but devices have been developed that make it possible to quickly deploy places on the ship for storing and discharging them (Fig. 9).

The naval commands of NATO countries plan to engage ships and boats (Fig. 10) of civilian departments and private owners to lay defensive minefields during a period of threat and with the outbreak of hostilities. So, in the USA, for example, activities for the selection of suitable vessels (boats) and training of crews for them are carried out within the framework of the COOP (Craft of Opportunity Program) program. These are vessels of small displacement, have a wooden hull and enough free space on the deck to accept mines on board or installation of mine-sweeping equipment specially created for them (in the version of a minesweeper - mine finder). COOP ships are assigned to a specific port, and their crews are trained from reservists. Similar programs exist in a number of European NATO countries.

According to foreign military experts, the importance of mine weapons in combat operations at sea will increase and they will be widely used for both offensive and defensive purposes. At the same time, it is emphasized that the greatest effect can be achieved with the massive use of mines in combination with the use of other combat weapons that are available to the fleets.

* Basic tactical and technical characteristics of samples min. in service with the fleets of capitalist states, see: Foreign Military Review. - 1989. - No. 8. - P. 48. - Ed.

Foreign Military Review No. 9 1990 P. 47-55

On land, mines never left the category of auxiliary, secondary weapons of tactical importance, even during their peak period, which occurred during the Second World War. At sea the situation is completely different. As soon as they appeared in the fleet, mines supplanted artillery and soon became weapons of strategic importance, often relegating other types of naval weapons to secondary roles.

Why did mines at sea become so important? It's a matter of cost and importance of each vessel. The number of warships in any fleet is limited, and the loss of even one can dramatically change the operational environment in the enemy's favor. A warship has great firepower, a large crew and can perform very serious tasks. For example, the sinking of just one tanker by the British in the Mediterranean Sea deprived Rommel's tanks of the ability to move, which played a big role in the outcome of the battle for North Africa. Therefore, the explosion of one mine under a ship plays a much greater role during the war than the explosions of hundreds of mines under tanks on the ground.

"Horned Death" and others

In many people's minds, a sea mine is a large, horned, black ball attached to an anchor line underwater or floating on the waves. If a passing ship hits one of the “horns,” an explosion will occur and the next victim will go to visit Neptune. These are the most common mines - anchored galvanic impact mines. They can be installed at great depths, and they can last for decades. True, they also have a significant drawback: they are quite easy to find and destroy - trawling. A small boat (minesweeper) with a shallow draft drags behind it a trawl, which, encountering a mine cable, interrupts it, and the mine floats up, after which it is shot from a cannon.

The enormous importance of these naval guns prompted designers to develop a number of mines of other designs - which are difficult to detect and even more difficult to neutralize or destroy. One of the most interesting types of such weapons is sea-bottom proximity mines.

Such a mine lies on the bottom, so it cannot be detected or hooked with a regular trawl. For a mine to work, you don’t need to touch it at all - it reacts to changes in the Earth’s magnetic field by a ship passing over the mine, to the noise of the propellers, to the hum of operating machines, to the difference in water pressure. The only way to combat such mines is to use devices (trawls) that imitate a real ship and provoke an explosion. But this is very difficult to do, especially since the fuses of such mines are designed in such a way that they are often able to distinguish ships from trawls.

In the 1920s-1930s and during World War II, such mines were most developed in Germany, which lost its entire fleet under the Treaty of Versailles. Creating a new fleet is a task that requires many decades and enormous expenses, and Hitler was going to conquer the whole world with lightning speed. Therefore, the lack of ships was compensated for by mines. In this way, it was possible to sharply limit the mobility of the enemy fleet: mines dropped from aircraft locked ships in harbors, did not allow foreign ships to approach their ports, and disrupted navigation in certain areas and in certain directions. According to the Germans, by depriving England of sea supplies, it was possible to create hunger and devastation in this country and thereby make Churchill more accommodating.

Delayed Strike

One of the most interesting bottom non-contact mines was the LMB mine - Luftwaffe Mine B, developed in Germany and actively used during the Second World War by German aviation (mines installed from ships are identical to aircraft, but do not have devices that ensure air delivery and drop from large altitudes and at high speeds). The LMB mine was the most widespread of all German sea-bottom proximity mines installed from aircraft. It turned out to be so successful that the German navy adopted it and installed it on ships. The naval version of the mine was designated LMB/S.

German specialists began developing the LMB in 1928, and by 1934 it was ready for use, although the German Air Force did not adopt it until 1938. Outwardly resembling an aerial bomb without a tail, it was suspended from the aircraft, after being dropped, a parachute opened above it, which provided the mine with a descent speed of 5-7 m/s to prevent a strong impact on the water: the body of the mine was made of thin aluminum (later series were made of pressed waterproof cardboard), and the explosive mechanism was a complex battery-powered electrical circuit.

As soon as the mine was separated from the aircraft, the clock mechanism of the auxiliary fuse LH-ZUS Z (34) began to work, which after seven seconds brought this fuse into the firing position. 19 seconds after touching the surface of the water or ground, if by this time the mine was not at a depth of more than 4.57 m, the fuse initiated an explosion. In this way the mine was protected from overly curious enemy deminers. But if the mine reached the specified depth, a special hydrostatic mechanism stopped the clock and blocked the operation of the fuse.

At a depth of 5.18 m, another hydrostat started a clock (UES, Uhrwerkseinschalter), which began counting down the time until the mine was brought into firing position. These clocks could be set in advance (when preparing the mine) for a time from 30 minutes to 6 hours (with an accuracy of 15 minutes) or from 12 hours to 6 days (with an accuracy of 6 hours). Thus, the main explosive device was not brought into firing position immediately, but after a predetermined time, before which the mine was completely safe. Additionally, a hydrostatic non-retrievable mechanism (LiS, Lihtsicherung) could be built into the mechanism of this watch, which would explode the mine when trying to remove it from the water. After the clock had completed the set time, it closed the contacts, and the process of bringing the mine into firing position began.

The picture shows an LMB mine equipped with an AT-1 explosive device. The parachute compartment cover has been pulled back to reveal the tail section of the mine. The shiny plates in the tail of the mine are not the tail, but the resonator tube of the low-frequency acoustic circuit. Between them there is an eye for a parachute. On the top of the body there is a T-shaped yoke for attaching the mine to the aircraft.

Magnetic death

The most interesting thing about LMB mines is a non-contact explosive device that is triggered when an enemy ship appears in the sensitivity zone. The very first was a device from Hartmann und Braun SVK, designated M1 (aka E-Bik, SE-Bik). It responded to the distortion of the Earth’s magnetic field at a distance of up to 35 m from the mine.

The M1 response principle itself is quite simple. An ordinary compass is used as a circuit closure. One wire is connected to the magnetic needle, the second is attached, say, to the “East” mark. As soon as you bring a steel object to the compass, the arrow will deviate from the “North” position and close the circuit.

Of course, a magnetic explosive device is technically more complicated. First of all, after power is applied, it begins to tune in to the Earth’s magnetic field that is present in a given place at that time. In this case, all magnetic objects (for example, a nearby ship) that are nearby are taken into account. This process takes up to 20 minutes.

When an enemy ship appears near the mine, the explosive device will react to the distortion of the magnetic field, and... the mine will not explode. She will let the ship pass peacefully. This is a multiplicity device (ZK, Zahl Kontakt). It will simply turn the deadly contact one step. And such steps in the multiplicity device of the M1 explosive device can be from 1 to 12 - the mine will miss a given number of ships, and will explode under the next one. This is done in order to complicate the work of enemy minesweepers. After all, making a magnetic trawl is not at all difficult: a simple electromagnet on a raft towed behind a wooden boat is enough. But it is unknown how many times the trawl will have to be pulled along the suspicious fairway. And time goes by! Warships are deprived of the ability to operate in this water area. The mine has not yet exploded, but it is already fulfilling its main task of disrupting the actions of enemy ships.

Sometimes, instead of a multiplicity device, a Pausenuhr (PU) clock device was built into the mine, which periodically turned the explosive device on and off for 15 days according to a given program - for example, 3 hours on, 21 hours off or 6 hours on, 18 hours off, etc. etc. So the minesweepers only had to wait for the maximum operating time of the UES (6 days) and PU (15 days) and only then begin trawling. For a month, enemy ships could not sail where they needed to.

Beat the sound

And yet, the M1 magnetic explosive device ceased to satisfy the Germans already in 1940. The British, in a desperate struggle to free the entrances to their ports, used all new magnetic minesweepers - from the simplest to those installed on low-flying aircraft. They managed to find and defuse several LMB mines, figured out the device and learned to deceive this fuse. In response to this, in May 1940, German miners put into use a new fuse from Dr. Hell SVK - A1, reacting to the noise of the ship's propellers. And not just for noise - the device triggered if this noise had a frequency of about 200 Hz and doubled within 3.5 s. This is the kind of noise that a high-speed warship of sufficiently large displacement creates. The fuse did not react to small vessels. In addition to the devices listed above (UES, ZK, PU), the new fuse was equipped with a self-destruction device to protect against tampering (Geheimhaltereinrichtung, GE).

But the British found a witty answer. They began to install propellers on light pontoons, which rotated from the incoming flow of water and imitated the noise of a warship. The pontoon was being towed by a fast boat, the propellers of which did not respond to the mine. Soon, English engineers came up with an even better way: they began installing such propellers in the bows of the ships themselves. Of course, this reduced the speed of the ship, but the mines did not explode under the ship, but in front of it.

Kirov-class cruiser Displacement: 8,600 t // Length: 1.91 m // Width: 18 m // Speed: 35 knots // Armament: 9 180 mm guns | 8 100 mm guns | 10 37 mm guns | 12 heavy machine guns | 2 three-tube torpedo tubes | 170 min.

Then the Germans combined the magnetic fuse M1 and the acoustic fuse A1, obtaining a new model MA1. For its operation, this fuse required, in addition to distortion of the magnetic field, also noise from the propellers. The designers were also prompted to take this step by the fact that the A1 consumed too much electricity, so the batteries only lasted from 2 to 14 days. In MA1, the acoustic circuit was disconnected from the power supply in the standby position. The enemy ship was first reacted to by a magnetic circuit, which turned on the acoustic sensor. The latter closed the explosive circuit. The combat operation time of a mine equipped with MA1 has become significantly longer than that of one equipped with A1.

But the German designers did not stop there. In 1942, Elac SVK and Eumig developed the AT1 explosive device. This fuse had two acoustic circuits. The first did not differ from circuit A1, but the second responded only to low-frequency sounds (25 Hz) coming strictly from above. That is, the noise of the propellers alone was not enough to trigger the mine; the fuse resonators had to pick up the characteristic hum of the ship’s engines. These fuses began to be installed in LMB mines in 1943.

In their desire to deceive Allied minesweepers, the Germans modernized the magnetic-acoustic fuse in 1942. The new sample was named MA2. In addition to the noise of the ship’s propellers, the new product also took into account the noise of the minesweeper’s propellers or simulators. If she detected the noise of the propellers coming from two points simultaneously, then the explosive chain was blocked.

water column

At the same time, in 1942, Hasag SVK developed a very interesting fuse, designated DM1. In addition to the usual magnetic circuit, this fuse was equipped with a sensor that responded to a decrease in water pressure (only 15-25 mm of water column was enough). The fact is that when moving through shallow water (to depths of 30-35 m), the propellers of a large ship “suck” water from below and throw it back. The pressure in the gap between the bottom of the ship and the seabed decreases slightly, and this is precisely what the hydrodynamic sensor responds to. Thus, the mine did not react to passing small boats, but exploded under a destroyer or larger ship.

But by this time, the Allies were no longer faced with the issue of breaking the mine blockade of the British Isles. The Germans needed many mines to protect their waters from Allied ships. On long voyages, light Allied minesweepers could not accompany warships. Therefore, engineers dramatically simplified the design of the AT1, creating the AT2 model. The AT2 was no longer equipped with any additional devices such as multiplicity devices (ZK), anti-extraction devices (LiS), tamper-evident devices (GE) and others.

At the very end of the war, German companies proposed AMT1 fuses for LMB mines, which had three circuits (magnetic, acoustic and low-frequency). But the war was inevitably coming to an end, the factories were subjected to powerful Allied air raids and it was no longer possible to organize industrial production of AMT1.

sea ​​mine

A sea mine is a naval munition installed in the water to destroy enemy submarines, surface ships and ships, as well as to impede their navigation. It consists of a body, an explosive charge, a fuse and devices that ensure installation and retention of the mine under water in a certain position. Sea mines can be laid by surface ships, submarines and aircraft (planes and helicopters). Sea mines are divided according to their purpose, method of retention at the place of deployment, degree of mobility, the principle of operation of the fuse and controllability after installation. Sea mines are equipped with safety, anti-mine devices and other means of protection.

There are the following types of sea mines.

Aviation sea mine– a mine, which is deployed from aircraft carriers. They can be bottom-based, anchored or floating. To ensure a stable position in the air portion of the trajectory, aircraft sea mines are equipped with stabilizers and parachutes. When falling onto the shore or shallow water, they explode from self-destruct devices.

Acoustic sea mine– a proximity mine with an acoustic fuse that is triggered when exposed to the target’s acoustic field. Hydrophones serve as receivers of acoustic fields. Used against submarines and surface ships.

Antenna sea mine– an anchor contact mine, the fuse of which is triggered when the ship’s hull comes into contact with a metal cable antenna. They are usually used to destroy submarines.

Towed sea mine- a contact mine, in which the explosive charge and fuse are placed in a streamlined body, which ensures that the mine is towed by a ship at a given depth. Used to destroy submarines in the First World War.

Galvanic impact sea mine - contact mine with a galvanic impact fuse, triggered when the ship hits the cap protruding from the mine body.

Hydrodynamic sea mine– a proximity mine with a hydrodynamic fuse, triggered by changes in pressure in the water (hydrodynamic field) caused by the movement of the ship. Receivers of the hydrodynamic field are gas or liquid pressure switches.

Bottom sea mine– a non-contact mine that has negative buoyancy and is installed on the seabed. Typically, the depth of mine placement does not exceed 50-70 m. The fuses are triggered when their receiving devices are exposed to one or more physical fields of the ship. Used to destroy surface ships and submarines.

Drifting sea mine- an anchor mine torn from its anchor by a storm or a trawl, floating to the surface of the water and moving under the influence of wind and current.

Induction sea mine– a proximity mine with an induction fuse, triggered by changes in the strength of the ship’s magnetic field. The fuse only fires under a moving ship. The receiver of the ship's magnetic field is an induction coil.

Combined sea mine - a proximity mine with a combined fuse (magnetic-acoustic, magneto-hydrodynamic, etc.), which is triggered only when exposed to two or more physical fields of the ship.

Contact sea mine- a mine with a contact fuse, triggered by mechanical contact of the underwater part of the ship with the fuse itself or the body of the mine and its antenna devices.

Magnetic sea mine– a proximity mine with a magnetic fuse that is triggered at the moment when the absolute value of the ship’s magnetic field reaches a certain value. A magnetic needle and other magnetically sensing elements are used as a magnetic field receiver.

Proximity sea mine- a mine with a proximity fuse, triggered by the influence of the physical fields of the ship. Based on the principle of operation of the fuse, non-contact sea mines are divided into magnetic, induction, acoustic, hydrodynamic and combined.

Floating sea mine– an unanchored mine floating underwater in a given depression using a hydrostatic device and other devices; moves under the influence of deep sea currents.

Anti-submarine sea mine - a mine for destroying submarines underwater as they pass at various diving depths. They are equipped primarily with proximity fuses that react to the physical fields inherent in submarines.

Rocket-propelled naval mine- an anchor mine that emerges from the depths under the influence of a jet engine and hits a ship with an underwater explosion of a charge. The launch of the jet engine and the separation of the mine from the anchor occurs when exposed to the physical fields of the ship passing over the mine.

Self-propelled sea mine - Russian name for the first torpedoes used in the second half of the 19th century.

Pole sea mine(source) - a contact mine used in the 60-80s. XIX century An explosive charge in a metal casing with a fuse was attached to the outer end of a long pole, which was extended forward in the bow of the mine boat before a mine attack.

Anchor sea mine- a mine that has positive buoyancy and is held at a given depression under water using a minrep (cable) connecting the mine to an anchor lying on the ground.

The world's media have been discussing for several weeks the question of whether Iran is able to block the Persian Gulf and cause a global oil crisis. The command of the American fleet assures the public that it will not allow such a development of events. Military observers from all countries calculate the quantitative and qualitative ratio of ships and aircraft of potential enemies. At the same time, almost nothing is said about mine weapons, but it is precisely this that can become the Persian trump card.

Mine factor in the history of wars

On March 31, 1904, the battleship Petropavlovsk exploded on a Japanese mine. Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov died along with the battleship. With the death of the commander, the active operations of the Port Arthur squadron ceased.

In August 1941, during the evacuation of Tallinn due to enemy mines, the Baltic Fleet lost 12 warships and about 30 transports.

In 1944–1945, due to the presence of mines in the Gulf of Finland, surface ships of the Baltic Fleet actually did not take part in hostilities.

In October 1950, the American fleet lost dominance in Korean waters, as the Yankees stumbled upon mines that the Koreans had laid from fishing junks.
Assessing the destabilizing role of missile defense in Europe

In 1972, the Americans decided to mine Vietnamese waters near the port of Haiphong. Mine-laying operations completely blocked the north of Vietnam from the sea for almost nine months.

As a rule, third world countries cannot independently clear mines laid by them during local conflicts, and turn to the superpowers with requests.

Thus, from March 1972 to June 1974, a group of Soviet ships under the command of Rear Admiral Sergei Zuenko carried out mine clearance in the area of ​​​​the port of Chittagong, the waters of which were mined during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.

In October - November 1973, the Egyptian Navy laid minefields in five lines in the Gubal and Inker Channel straits of the Gulf of Suez. They had to be trawled by a detachment of ships from the Pacific and Black Sea fleets. Trawling was carried out from July to November 1974. On the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, similar work was carried out by minesweepers from Western countries.

In 1984, during the Iran-Iraq War, someone planted mines in the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez. Between July and September 1984, 19 transport ships were blown up by mines. This caused a significant decrease in the flow of ships through the Suez Canal. Usually about 60 merchant ships passed through the canal daily, but in August the number dropped to 42.

18 ships from four NATO countries were urgently sent to the Red Sea: the USA, England, France and Italy. A group of Soviet ships led by the helicopter carrier Leningrad also headed there. The French cleared ten bottom mines, the British one, and the Italians none.

During the Gulf War of January–February 1991 (“Desert Storm”), the Americans and their allies were unable to land an amphibious assault in southern Iraq due to mine danger. Iraq has mined the northern part of the Persian Gulf, especially on the approaches to landing areas of the Kuwait coast. The American helicopter carrier Tripoli and the guided missile cruiser Princeton were blown up by Iraqi mines, and the destroyer Paul Fosner hit an old Japanese mine, which did not explode.

Marine minesweepers and helicopter minesweepers from the USA, England, Belgium and Germany took part in trawling these mines. In total, in January-February 1991, they cleared 112 mines, mostly Soviet-made, such as AMD and Krab Krab. However, until the end of hostilities, not a single unit of the Allied forces was landed on the shore.

Prospects for mining the Strait of Hormuz

Well, what are the prospects for using mine weapons in the Persian Gulf? Let's start with what this bay is like. Its length is 926 km (according to other sources, 1000 km), width is 180-320 km, average depth is less than 50 m, maximum depth is 102 m. The entire northeastern coast of the bay, that is, about 1180 km, is Persian. It is mountainous and steep, which makes it easier to defend and place missile and artillery batteries. The most vulnerable place is the Strait of Hormuz. The length of the strait is 195 km. The strait is relatively shallow - the maximum depth is 229 m, and on the fairway the depth is up to 27.5 m.

Currently, ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is carried out along two transport corridors, each 2.5 km wide. Tankers going into the gulf go along a corridor closer to the Iranian coast, and oncoming tankers from the gulf go along a different corridor. Between the corridors there is a 5 km wide buffer zone. This zone was created to prevent collisions between oncoming ships. As you can see, the Persian Gulf in general and the Strait of Hormuz in particular are an ideal testing ground for the use of all types of sea mines.

During the Iran-Iraq War of 1980–1988, both sides attacked neutral tankers heading to the Persian Gulf beginning in 1984. In total, 340 ships were attacked during the “tanker war”. Most of them were attacked by boats and aircraft, and in some cases were fired upon by coastal missiles or artillery installations. Mine laying was carried out to an extremely limited extent. Two ships were damaged by mines in 1984, eight in 1987 and two in 1988. I note that the restriction on the use of mines was not due to technical, but to political reasons, since both sides claimed that they were attacking only ships entering enemy ports. It is clear that mines are not yet able to carry out such selection.

On May 16, 1987, the Soviet tanker Marshal Chuikov was blown up on the approach to Kuwait. The tanker received a hole in the underwater area with an area of ​​about 40 square meters. m. Thanks to the good condition of the watertight bulkheads, the ship did not perish.

On April 14, 1988, 65 miles east of Bahrain, the American guided missile frigate Samuel Roberts with a displacement of 4,100 tons was blown up on an old anchor mine of the 1908 model. During a five-hour struggle for survivability, the crew managed to keep the ship afloat. Repairing the frigate cost American taxpayers $135 million.

Now there is little doubt that in the event of a large-scale attack on Iran, its Navy will begin an unlimited mine war throughout the Persian Gulf, including, of course, the Strait of Hormuz.

The formidable weapon of Iranian sailors

What types of mine weapons does the Iranian Navy have? I'm not sure the Pentagon has a list of it. Mines, unlike ships, tanks and aircraft, are easier to hide, including when delivered from third countries. There is reason to believe that Iran has the majority of post-war mine samples. He could purchase them both in the USSR and in the newly formed republics. Let us remember how Iran received Shkval missiles from the Dastan plant in Kyrgyzstan. In addition, Iran could receive mines through Libya, Syria and a number of other countries.

What are modern mines?

One of the most advanced classic mines created at NII-400 (since 1991 - “Gidropribor”) was the UDM-2 (universal bottom mine), which was put into service in 1978. It is designed to combat ships of all classes and submarines. Mine placement can be carried out from ships, as well as from military and transport aircraft. In this case, the deployment from an airplane is carried out without a parachute system, which provides greater secrecy and the ability to plant mines from low altitudes. If it hits land or shallow water, the mine will self-destruct.

The UDM-2 mine is equipped with a three-channel non-contact fuse with acoustic and hydrodynamic channels and has multiplicity and urgency devices.

Mine length 3055/2900 mm (aviation/ship version), caliber 630 mm. Weight 1500/1470 kg. Charge weight 1350 kg. The minimum depth of the deployment site is 15/8 m, and the maximum is 60/300 m. The combat service life is one year, as is the case with other domestic mines.

In 1955, the APM aviation floating mine was put into service. The mine was designed at NII-400 under the direction of F.M. Milyakova. It was a galvanic impact mine, automatically held at a given recess by a pneumatic floating device. The mine had a two-stage parachute system, consisting of a stabilizing and main parachute.

The APM mine ensured the destruction of a surface ship when its hull hit one of the four galvanic impact mine fuses located in its upper part. The navigation device, powered by compressed air, ensured that the mine was kept in a given depression with an accuracy of 1 m. The supply of compressed air ensured the mine's combat service life of up to 10 days. The mine was intended for use in areas with depths of more than 15 m. The minimum ship speed to ensure reliable operation of the galvanic impact fuse was 0.5 knots.

A more advanced floating mine MNP-2 was created in 1979 at the Design Bureau of the Machine-Building Plant named after. Kuibyshev in Kazakhstan under the leadership of Yu.D. Monakova. MNP stands for zero buoyancy mine. The adjective "floating" disappeared from the name because floating mines were prohibited by international agreement.

MNP-2 is designed to destroy surface ships and submarines in harbors or anchored near the shore, as well as to destroy various kinds of hydraulic structures. The mine carriers are special-purpose self-propelled underwater vehicles controlled by combat swimmers. The “means” themselves are delivered to the combat area by ultra-small or conventional submarines.

Mine length 3760 mm, caliber 528 mm. Weight 680 kg. TNT weight is 300 kg. The range of swimming depths is from 6 to 60 m. The time spent under water in a combat position is up to 1 year.

Back in 1951, Resolution No. 4482 of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, according to which the work plan of NII-400 from 1952 included the development of the flounder rocket-propelled mine "Flounder". By decision of the management, a group of design officers from the Navy Research Institute-3, headed by B.K., was sent to the institute. Lyamin.

In the course of work on this topic, Lyamin created the world's first bottom-mounted reactive-floating mine, called KRM. It was adopted by the Navy by Decree of the Council of Ministers No. 152-83 of January 13, 1957.

A passive-active acoustic system was used as a separator in the KRM mine, which detected and classified the target, gave the command to separate the warhead and start the jet engine, which delivered the warhead from the combat charging compartment to the surface of the water in the area where the surface target was located.

The dimensions of the KRM mine were: length 3.4 m, width 0.9 m, height 1.1 m. The mine was placed from surface ships. Mine weight 1300 kg. The weight of the explosive (TGAG-5) is 300 kg. The mine could be installed at a depth of up to 100 m. The width of the fuse response zone was 20 m.

However, the width of the KRM response zone was considered insufficient by the Navy leadership. Subsequently, on the basis of the KRM mine, the RM-1 anchored jet-floating aircraft low-parachute mine was created. It was put into service in 1960 and became the first universal mine-missile, capable of defeating both surface ships and submerged submarines.

In 1963, the PM-2 bottom anchor-propelled pop-up mine was put into service. The mine was created at NII-400. Its diameter is 533 mm, length 3.9 m, weight 900 kg, explosive weight 200 kg. Depth of mine placement is 40 - 300 m. Active acoustic fuse. The mine was placed from submarine torpedo tubes.

The PMR-1 anti-submarine mine-missile became the first domestic wide-band self-aiming mine-missile. It was originally intended to destroy submarines underwater, but could also hit surface targets. PMR-1 was created in 1970 at NII-400 under the leadership of L.P. Matveeva.

Mines are laid from the torpedo tubes of submarines or dropped astern from the decks of surface ships. PMR-1 is an anchor mine consisting of interconnected reactive-charging and instrument-mechanical compartments, as well as an anchor.

The rocket-charging compartment is a solid-fuel rocket, in the head part of which an explosive charge and electronic equipment for the combat channel are placed. The instrumentation and mechanical department contains a control system, a power source, mechanisms for tilting the mine and installing it on a given recess, a drum with a cable, and more.

After being dropped, the mine sinks under the influence of negative buoyancy, and when a depth of 60 m is reached, a temporary device is launched. After working out the specified time, the casing connecting both compartments is reset, then the anchor is released, and the reeling of the minrep begins. After a set time, the mine is brought into firing position.

When an enemy submarine enters the dangerous zone of a mine, a direction finding system is activated, operating on the principle of sonar. Electronic acoustic equipment determines the direction to the boat and turns on the aiming system. The hydraulic tilt mechanism aims the rocket-charging compartment at the target, and then issues commands to start the jet engine. The explosion of the charge is carried out using a non-contact or contact fuse.

The high speed of the missile and the short travel time - from 3 to 5 s - exclude the possibility of using anti-submarine countermeasures or evasive maneuvers.

The total length of the mine is 7800 mm, diameter 534 mm, weight 1.7 tons, charge weight 200 kg. Mine placement depth is from 200 to 1200 m. Service life is 1 year.

At the end of the 1960s, several modifications of the PMR-1 mine were created at NII-400: MPR-2, PMR-2M, PMR-2MU.

Of the American mines, the most interesting is the Hunter self-exploding mine. It can be deployed from aircraft, surface ships and submarines. After being placed on the bottom, the mine is buried into it using special devices, and only the antenna remains outside. The mine can remain in a “dormant” state for up to two years. But it can be activated at any time by a special signal. The body of the mine is made of plastic. Once activated, the two-channel fuse detects an enemy ship and fires a Mk-46 or Stigray homing torpedo at it.

I note that the design and mass production of a simplified Hunter model, even without a homing torpedo, is within the capabilities of any country, especially Iran. Well, the bottom of most of the Persian Gulf is muddy, which makes it easier for torpedoes to bury. Visually, it cannot be detected either by a diver or by a special unmanned vehicle - a mine detector - aircraft, helicopters, various boats and ships. When mine weapons interact with artillery and missiles from coastal installations and ships, as well as aviation, Iran has every chance of completely blocking shipping in the Persian Gulf. Technically this is quite achievable; all that is needed is political will.