To allow own warships and merchant vessels to use the seas, enter and leave harbours, when necessary, without unacceptable damage or losses from mines
The ultimate aim is to reduce the RISK from sea mines.
In Naval Mine Counter Measures (NMCM) the following techniques are used:
Minehunting, minesweeping and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD):
The “classic” minesweeping consists of:
Towing steel wires through the water. These are equipped with explosive or mechanical cutters which will sever the mooring cable of moored mines. The surfaced mine will then be destroyed by divers.
Towing an acoustic device as a noisemaker and/or an electric cable or solenoid generating a magnetic field. These signals simulate the target ship. A correct simulation will seduce the mine to explode under the sweeping gear. Other signatures to be simulated with more sophisticated gear include seismic or underwater electric potential (UEP).
EOD is the technique whereby divers systematically search the areas, where minesweepers and minehunters cannot operate. The mines found are then countermined.
An AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) is a relatively new sensor and seems very promising in locating potentially dangerous underwater objects…But whatever technique is used, NMCM remains a slow and complicated process with a very high risk. None of the weapon systems can guarantee success if its operators have not received adequate instruction and training.