Mark 60 CAPTOR

The Mark 60 CAPTOR (Encapsulated Torpedo) is the United States' only deep-water anti-submarine naval mine.^[4][3][2] It uses a Mark 46 torpedo^[2][3] contained in an aluminum shell that is anchored to the ocean floor.^[2] The mine can be placed by either aircraft, submarine or surface vessel.^[2][3] The torpedo, once placed, can last anywhere from weeks to months underwater.^[3] The original production contract of the CAPTOR mine was awarded to Goodyear Aerospace in 1972, and entered service in 1979.^[3] It was hoped to reduce minefield costs and used in the creation of a barrier of the "Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap to interrupt Soviet submarines in the event that deterrence failed."^[4]

Mark 60 CAPTOR
Mark 60 mine being loaded into a B-52 Stratofortress at Loring Air Force Base in 1989
Type	Antisubmarine naval mine[1][2][3]
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1979-2001[1]
Used by	United States Navy
Wars	Cold War
Production history
Designer	Goodyear Aerospace[3]
Manufacturer	Goodyear Aerospace[3]
Unit cost	US $113,000 (FY78) US $377,000 (FY86)[3]
Produced	1978-1986[3]
Variants	Mine Mk 66, Mk 46 Mod 5 (NEARTIP)
Specifications
Mass	Aircraft/ship-laid:1,077 kg (2,374 lb)[1] Submarine-laid:935 kg (2,061 lb)[1]
Length	Aircraft/ship-laid:3.68 m (145 in)[1] Submarine-laid:3.35 m (132 in)[1]
Diameter	530 mm (21 in)[1]
Effective firing range	8,000 yards (7,300 m)[2]
Warhead	Mark 46 torpedo
Warhead weight	44 kg (97 lb), PBXN-103
Engine	Two-speed, reciprocating external combustion
Propellant	Otto fuel II
Maximum depth	1,000 feet (300 m)
Maximum speed	>28 knots (52 km/h)
Guidance system	Active or passive/active acoustic homing, snake or circle search, reliable acoustic path (RAP) sound propagation[2][1][3]
Launch platform	Aircraft, surface ship and submarines[2][1][3]

The mine uses Reliable Acoustic Path (RAP)^[2][1] sound propagation to passively identify and track the difference between hostile submarine signatures, surface vessels and friendly submarines.^[3] Once identified, the torpedo leaves its casing to destroy its target.