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Quickstrike: The B-52 Learns Another New Trick...
From the good folks at StrategyPage. As a clarification, our tactical a/c have been able to drop mines for years - A-6s and A-7s did the heavy lifting for the mining of North Vietnamese ports during Linebacker, but up until now, B-52s weren't capable - they would have had to get in too close to some very heavy AAA threats. But I'm guessing that with JDAM style guidance, GPS tracking of where the lil' beasts went - and a suppressed enemy AAA system - My Lady Buffy will be able to get in quite close and drop what should be at least fifty of these beasts per sortie. Fifty mines is enough to close any port on the planet for months, even with Western sweeping technology.Now, let's not forget that within the last few weeks there have been quiet stories - posted and commented on here at the 'Burg - about Royal Navy and USN minesweepers showing up in the Gulf. Those are not your Grandpa's minesweepers - they're Mine Warfare Ships, capable of leading a thorough and complete mining campaign. If I were Ahmanidinnerjacket, I'd be worried - but I think he's too busy getting the 12th Imam's room ready to notice that the noose may be very slowly closing... January 23, 2007: The U.S. Air Force recently held, and publicized, a B-52 training mission that involved dropping naval mines. This is something the air force has been doing since World War II, and with great success. The current air force naval mine is the Mk-62 "Quickstrike." This is basically a 500 pound bomb, with a sensor package attached to the rear. There are three different sensor packages, each providing a different set of sensors to detonate the mine. The Mk-62 is a "bottom mine," which is dropped in shallow water, and then detects a ship passing above using pressure (of the ship on the water), magnetism (of the metal in the ships hull), or vibration. The sensor also comes with a computer, to enable the mine to follow certain instructions (like only detonate for ships that meet a certain criteria.) The B-52 drops the mines at an altitude of about 1,000 feet, while moving at 500-600 kilometers an hour. The mines are usually dropped in known shipping lanes, especially those that serve as approaches to a major port. During World War II, air dropped mines proved devastating to Japanese shipping. Same thing with their use against North Vietnam during the Vietnam war. The B-52s are also equipped to use Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Minor clarification - about two wings' worth of B-52s were converted about 20 years ago to launch Harpoon. IIRC those birds are still in the inventory, but the Harpoons aren't - I'm not sure, but I don't think the USAF and USN air-launch Harpoons are cross-system compatible. Together, these two systems make the B-52 a lethal naval weapon. The F-18, B-2, B-1B and P-3C can also deliver naval mines. Publicizing the exercise apparently sends a message to North Korea, Iran and China, about how quickly their seaborne lifelines could be cut. Mike Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2007-01-25 |
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