Warship of the mines

A warship of the mines is a Warship used in naval operations known as of Guerre of the mines and conceived to detect, destroy or wet marine mines.

Types of war buildings of the mines

One distinguishes:

the Minesweeper which uses a Drague, device mechanical, acoustic or magnetic, towed a priori in a zone likely to be mined, and intended to explode mines with the contact or. Contrary to the minehunter, the dredger does not detect the mines. It is thus particularly exposed with the danger of the mines; this is why today, the mine sweeping is either abandoned with the profit of hunting for the mines, or carried out by dredgers towed by helicopters or remote-controlled floating machines (for example the German system Troïka).
the Hunter of mines which uses a Sonar to detect the mines and then to destroy them by explosion of a load deposited by a submarine robot or plungers, called plungers bomb disposal experts. The latter can also decontaminate the mines. The minehunters can be also equipped with a dredger.

the Minelayer, specialized in the damping of mines. In fact, today little navy uses buildings specialized with this use. If it is about defensive damping (minefield intended to protect a friendly hot area), any auxiliary building having means of grutage and setting with water (Gabare, supply…) can be used. In the case of an offensive damping (mines wet in a zone controlled by the adversary), damping is carried out by aircraft or Sous-marin.

Characteristics of the warships of the mines

The hunters and in particular the minesweepers are particularly exposed with the danger represented by the mines. A certain number of precautions are taken with construction:

very weak magnetic signature to avoid starting the magnetic firings of the mines: use of non-magnetic materials, hull formerly of wood, today out of polyester or made up glass/resin (CVR), tackle out of bronze or aluminum; circuits of magnetic immunization to cancel any residual magnetic influence;
very weak acoustic signature to avoid starting the acoustic firings: propelling apparatus and auxiliaries low noise; presence, generally, of two systems of propulsion, one for the transits, the other for the operations;
good resistance to the underwater explosions in the vicinity.

The warships of the mines are generally of small buildings, of about fifty meters length for approximately 500 tons. They are usually gathered in flotilla, and in operations act as group with the support of a building bases which shelters staff, replacements…

Warship of the mines

Types of war buildings of the mines

Characteristics of the warships of the mines

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