Mark 60 CAPTOR

Mark 60 CAPTOR
Mark 60 mine being loaded into a B-52 Stratofortress at Loring Air Force Base in 1989
Type	Antisubmarine naval mine
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1979
Used by	United States Navy
Wars	Cold War
Production history
Manufacturer	Alliant Techsystems
Specifications
Weight	Aircraft/ship-laid:1,077 kg (2,374 lb) Submarine-laid:935 kg (2,061 lb)
Length	Aircraft/ship-laid:3.68 m (145 in) Submarine-laid:3.35 m (132 in)
Diameter	530 mm (21 in)
Effective firing range	8,000 yards (7,300 m)
Warhead	Mark 46 torpedo
Warhead weight	44 kg (97 lb), PBXN-103
Engine	Two-speed, reciprocating external combustion
Propellant	Otto fuel II
Maximum depth	3,000 feet (910 m)
Speed	>28 knots (52 km/h)
Guidance system	Active or passive/active acoustic homing, snake or circle search, reliable acoustic path (RAP) sound propagation
Launch platform	Aircraft, surface ship and submarines

The Mark 60 CAPTOR (Encapsulated Torpedo) is the United States Navy's primary anti-submarine naval mine. This deep-water mine is laid by ship, aircraft or submarine, and is anchored to the ocean floor. When its sonar detects a hostile submarine, the CAPTOR launches a Mark 46 torpedo.

The name CAPTOR is short for enCAPsulated TORpedo. The CAPTOR was the U.S. Navy's standard anti-submarine mine during the Cold War, having enough computer power to detect the difference in acoustic signature between ships and submarines. When an enemy submarine passes close by, the passive sonar detects it and releases the torpedo, which tracks the sound until it contacts the submarine hull and explodes.

External links

• Captor Mines - FAS