Ammunition and explosives – Mines – Marine type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-04
2001-04-24
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3641)
Ammunition and explosives
Mines
Marine type
C102S411000, C102S413000, C102S414000, C102S417000, C367S003000, C367S134000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220168
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to underwater weapons, and more particularly to a weapon system that improves underwater placement accuracy while also providing for intelligence gathering and transmission from the weapon, and remote command and control of the weapon once it has been placed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mines placed out at sea typically are configured to detect a particular stimulus supplied by an ocean going vessel in order to detonate a large explosive warhead for the purpose of sinking or incapacitating the vessel. Mine fields placed in the littoral regions of the world are used for offensive and defensive purposes. Offensively, placement of mines in a littoral region can destroy an enemy entering a mine field and/or limit the enemy maneuverability. Defensively, a littoral-region mine field can keep an enemy from attacking through a certain region.
Currently, underwater mines are placed by aircraft. Placement precision is generally not very good and results in placement errors of hundreds of yards. The higher the altitude of the aircraft when the mine is released, the greater the placement error will be. Thus, in terms of mine placement in littoral regions, aircraft sometimes have to come precariously close to an enemy shore which can result in nullifying a covert mission and/or allow the enemy to target and fire upon the aircraft.
In addition to placement problems, mines do not possess the ability to be remotely controlled in an efficient fashion from a safe location. Rather, underwater mines are pre-programmed to respond to seismic, pressure, acoustic and/or magnetic influences to yield detonation. Some efforts are underway to try to remotely command and control mines by use of acoustic signals. However, acoustic signals propagated through water for mine control can be quite unreliable especially in shallow and very shallow water regimes where high surface and bottom reverberation losses exist. Acoustic control can also be negated by the presence of air bubbles, ambient and man-made acoustic noise in the water near the receiver. Acoustic communications through water is further greatly affected by the multipaths, thermoclines and echoes from other sonar sources in the area.
Finally, although underwater mines are covert once located, this capability is not currently exploited. That is, mines are not operated as an intelligence gathering post that detects, for example, the number of vessels traversing an area, environmental conditions, etc., and reports back to a remote station.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an underwater mine system that allows precise placement of and communication with an underwater mine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an underwater mine system that can be released from an aircraft at a safe standoff range.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide for remote command and control of an underwater mine.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.
In accordance with the present invention, an underwater intelligence gathering weapon system uses a mine having a logic portion for controlling explosive operation thereof. Navigation means are physically coupled to the mine for maneuvering it through the air to a destination at the surface of a body of water after being deployed in air from an aircraft. A first transceiver is mounted onboard the mine and is coupled to the mine's logic portion. The first transceiver is activated after the mine arrives at its destination in the water. The first transceiver will at least receive signals that can control the mine's logic portion. The signals are magneto-inductive in nature for transmission through the body of water. More specifically, the signals are digital tones modulated on a carrier frequency not to exceed approximately 4000 hertz. A second transceiver that transmits the signals into the body of water is remotely located with respect to the first transceiver.
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Garcia Felipe
Sojdehei John
Woodall Robert
Carone Michael J.
Gilbert Harvey A.
Peck Donald G.
Semunegus Lulit
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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