ABSTRACT
Searching for mines is a time consuming and relatively hazardous operation that is heavily weighted in the favour of the miner if the defending force has not prepared the battlespace beforehand. In simple terms, if the environment in which the enemy is likely to launch a mine attack is known, and the defending forces are familiar with the bottom conditions then the enemy mines are more easily localised and subsequently eliminated. The method of achieving this familiarity with the environment is known by a number of terms but most commonly used is Q-Route Survey or just Route Survey.
From the introduction of minehunting sonars in the 60’s Navies have been interested in developing databases of the minelike bottom objects with theareas that they may operate – the battlespace. These efforts have been plagued by a number of fundemental equipment and philosophical problems. Apart from the difficulties faced with precisely positioning the mine-like objects on the bottom the general navigation and plotting accuracies of the vessels was very poor. This contributed to so great a lack of confidence by succeeding vessel commanders about the validity of the database of bottom objects that the databases invariably failed. The failure of a MCM database is catastrophic for the defenders, after an attack, as it means that all bottom objects would need to be reinvestigated to prove they were not mines.
Even in moderately cluttered bottom conditions such as in harbours or approaches where there may be 300-400 objects per kilometer of 600m wide channel the investigation and discrimination of all these objects would involve a speed of advance for the dedicated minehunting vessel of less than one knot!
There had to be a more efficient way. In the early 80’s the sidescan sonar systems were being supplemented by the fabulously powerful 286 computers. This allowed the sonar signal to be digitised, displayed on a screen and recorded to magnetic medium then stored.
This opened the way for the sidescan sonar to be used to define the battlespace. The first generation systems have done a quite good job of achieving the aims when employed by efficient, well trained crews. However, this has been the exception rather than the rule, and the quality of the data so far collected probably less than optimum. In addition the storage of this early data was invariably based on the basis of positioning all the “minelike contacts” geographically and a consequent lack of care with storage of the original sonar data.
Planning is one of the, if not the most, important element of war. This is why the hard-work Canadian military forces put into planning for the attack on Vimy Ridge earned the nation much deserved respect in the eyes of other countries around the world. Germany captured Vimy Ridge early in the war and made it into a strong defensive position, consisting of a huge system of tunnels and trenches manned by soldiers with machine guns and artillery pieces. Previous Allied attacks on Vimy Ridge in 1914 and 1915 had cost the British and French hundreds of thousands of casualties and had been mostly unsuccessful.The planning and preparations for the attack were extensive, and time consuming. The Canadians were trained rigorously. Models of...
(U) Background: Over the course of United States history the Army has made changes to how it engages its foreign enemies. These tactics techniques and procedures are the result of lessons learned during conflict, mistakes made under fire, and the results of a nation at war. As a result the IPB process has changed to accommodate a dynamic and often fluid battlefield. However this has not changed the core concept behind IPB, the four steps still remain an integral part of the Commanders Military Decision Making Process (MDMP), and are essential in war gaming. IPB assist in providing valuable Intelligence to the War Fighter throughout all phases of operations. This paper will cover each step of the IPB Process as well as discuss products associated with each of those steps and how these products can be an asset to the Commander and the War Fighter.
During the Normandy landings, particularly at Omaha Beach, the destroyers of the Allied armada played a critical role and kept the Normandy invasion from becoming an unprecedented defeat. To fully understand the importance of the destroyer action on Omaha Beach, th...
Thesis. Air War College, 1987. http://www.airwar.edu//a>. Maxwell, Alabama: United States Air Force, 1987. DTIC Online -.
on this built in compass sense to guide them in the open ocean. Another use for
Reading, Gwem. "Radar Operator in WW2." Letter. 8 Nov. 2003. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. BBC WW2 People's War. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
"Radar during World War II." - GHN: IEEE Global History Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. .
Rottman, Gordon L. U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the battle at LZ X-Ray and explore the possibility of an alternative outcome based on the imagined absence of key airborne signals intelligence assets used just before and during the battle. Under these conditions, friendly forces would not have been able to precisely locate the enemy and provide continuous updates on disposition and intentions. This would have allowed the enemy to gain and retain the initiative in the battle, potentially overrunning or otherwise defeating American forces. As this battle also represented a proof-of-concept for helicopter warfare and the first distinctive engagement of the war, the second and third order effects would have been substantial.
A trained tunnel exploitation team was essential to the expeditions of VC tunnels since untrained people may have missed hidden tunnel entrances, taken unnecessary casualties from concealed mines and booby traps . To facilitate this, teams were trained, equipped and maintained in a ready status to provide immediate assistance when tunnels were discovered.
Archaeology is a continuously evolving field where there is a constant stream of new branches and excavation methods. Due to the influx of new technologies and innovations in recent decades, archaeologists have been able to excavate previously inaccessible areas. For example, new diving equipment and tools such as proton magnetometers, side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler, and miniature submarines have allowed archaeologists to dive into the deep depths of the ocean. As a result, the branch of underwater archaeology was created to search for shipwrecks and other artifacts on the ocean floor. Underwater archaeology’s role has increased in recent years as it allows archaeologists to more accurately interpret the past by supplementing information gained through traditional land excavations.
I have organized this paper into five distinct sections; mission, task organization, capabilities, limitations, and finally the conclusion. After the reading and comprehension of this paper, you should have gained a basic understanding of the Special Forces (SF) Chemical Reconnaissance Detachments (CRD). The following paper is mixed with Unclassified (UCI) and For Official Use Only (FOUO) information. FOUO is annotated at the beginning of all For Official Use Only information, the rest of the paper is UCI. If you wish to share this information paper with others, please at a minimum; confirm identity of the person prior to providing (FM 380-5, 2000). For further handling instructions please refer to FM 380-5, or contact me, I will gladly answer all questions.
Ultrasounds use the same concepts that allow sonar on boats to see the bottom of the o...
... secretive. They guard perimeters that stretch for miles around mines. The armies are highly hostile and want nothing to do with anyone. A solution that is practical for everyone has yet to be formulated. Hopefully one if found soon, because innocent people are dying at a rate of almost 4,000 every day.
Since the discovery of gunpowder by the Chinese, the world as we know it has made more efficient and powerful weapons. Throughout the history of warfare from the medieval times to present day, explosives have been used as an Offensive and Defensive weapon. When a castle or army was under siege the attacking army would surround the objective and cut off all supply lines and try to starve the enemy into submission. With the invention of gunpowder it made the siege obsolete. This was empowered by the cannon and other forms of field artillery, which allowed the objective to be overthrown quickly. Military grade explosives are used for benign reasons also. Within the past few years an emphasis has been placed upon demining war torn countries that are ravaged by unclaimed and unaccounted mines emplaced by the host nation. This action is being undertaken to make the countries safer for the citizens of those countries. Throughout history stalemates have occurred during war, Engineers or Soldiers with knowledge of explosives were called upon to end the stalemate. This essay will cover one such incident during the Battle of Crater and the siege of Petersburg, Virginia during the American Civil War.