Our mines are designed for use against many different types of surface ships and submarines, and can be deployed for both offensive and defensive functions. Naval mines, moreover, are designed to be deployed from a variety of platforms, including surface ships, submarines, and aircraft. Nearly every Naval aircraft that carries bombs or torpedoes can also be rigged to carry mines. As we approach the 21^st century, we continue to focus on rebuilding our mine delivery capability. The accelerated retirement of three of the Navy’s proven mine delivery platforms, the A-6 Intruder, S-3B Viking, and older nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), requires innovative solutions to guarantee that we have the number of delivery platforms required to execute effective mining operations in the future.

SUBMARINES

The Navy’s Sturgeon SSN-637 class attack submarines continue to be phased out as they reach the end of their service lives, and many of the initial units of the Los Angeles SSN-688 class submarines will be retired earlier than planned due to fiscal constraints. These two platforms are certified to plant SLMMs. Newer Seawolf SSN-21 class attack submarines will be capable of delivering mines, but only three of these very expensive (over $3B each) submarines will be acquired. The planned Virginia NSSN-774 new attack class submarines will help fill out the future submarine force and will also be capable of mine delivery missions.

Naval A-6 aircraft were retired from service in FY98 and S-3B aircraft relinquished their mining mission in FY99, leaving the F/A‑18A/D Hornet and F-14A/D Tomcat as the only operational carrier-based aircraft that can deploy mines.  The Navy’s land-based P‑3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft also maintains an important mine delivery role.  The QUICKSTRIKE family of mines is currently being flight tested on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with carriage approval expected in the near future.   

The Air Force’s Bomber Roadmap, the principle planning document it uses to formally identify its own missions and force structure, calls for only its B-52H Stratofortress, B-1B Lancer, and B‑2A Spirit bombers to have an air-delivered mining potential to augment the Navy’s capabilities.  None of its fighter aircraft are considered. 

Today, the Air Force’s venerable B-52H bomber is the nation’s most versatile airborne high‑volume mining platform.  For example, the B-52H can carry five times the number of QUICKSTRIKE Mines Mk 62 as the Navy’s carrier-based F/A-18A/D aircraft or three times the loadout of the land-based P-3C for this same mine.  The B-52Hs currently in the Air Force’s inventory will remain in service into the next millennium, but are expected to be retired soon thereafter.  The B‑1B and B-2A bombers have both been tested and certified in mine laying roles and, in light of their new emphasis on conventional strike missions, should be available for a variety of mine laying tasks. 

Because of reduced bomber availability and procurement funding, a compelling case continues for the development of an airborne, high-volume mining capability, especially a modular system for adaptation to existing civil and military transport aircraft.  Similarly, as Naval doctrine and strategy has shifted to regional crises and conflicts, the Navy must be innovative in adapting currently available platforms, such as surface combatants, as high-volume mining platforms capable of supporting joint expeditionary warfare requirements.  The Navy’s nuclear-propelled attack submarine force will also be increasingly relied upon for mining missions.  Therefore, it must investigate ways to enhance the mine-laying capability of our current and future submarines without adversely affecting torpedo loadouts or submarine performance and effectiveness in other critical mission areas. 

The current and planned airborne mining capabilities (both Service and E&T) of the Navy and Air Force combined are provided in a table on the next page.  Please note that no distinction is made for such things as OAs due to specific flight gear, flight gear delay, arming wire rigging, or carriage internally (bomb bay) vice externally (wing) which could affect a platform’s ability to carry a particular mine configuration.  For example, a QUICKSTRIKE Mine Mk 62 with a Fin BSU-86/B cannot be carried by the B-52H, yet the same bomb case fitted with a Fin Mk 15 is allowed.  To carry this idea a bit further, the Fin BSU-86/B is the only flight gear allowed on the F‑14A/D Tomcat with a QUICKSTRIKE Mine Mk 62, and the Fin Mk 15 and Tail Section Mk 16 are both disallowed. 

The table that begins the next page is designed to provide an overall “quick look” capability and forecast regardless of specific mine configurations.  Navy Technical Manuals (TMs) and Air Force Technical Orders (TOs) provide Naval Aviation Ordnancemen (AO) and Air Force Airmen with very specific guidance as to what mine configurations are compatible with what airborne platforms.  The aircraft types listed in the table are illustrated on the pages to follow in the order they appear in the table from left to right.

MINE	AIRCRAFT
	F-14A/D Tomcat	F/A-18A/D Hornet	F/A-18E/F Super Hornet	P-3C Orion	B-1B Lancer	B-2A Spirit	B-52H Stratofortress
Laying Mine Mk 52 (E&T)		X		X			X
Actuation Mine Mk 52 (E&T)		X		X			X
Mine Mk 56		X		X			X
QUICKSTRIKE Mine Mk 62	X	X	Undergoing Flight Testing	X	X	X	X
QUICKSTRIKE Mine Mk 63		X	Undergoing Flight Testing	X			X
QUICKSTRIKE Mine Mk 65		X	Undergoing Flight Testing	X	X		X