A mine is a terrible thing that waits... GO BLACKHAWKS! FLY NAVY!

1. AIRFORCES brief to MINEWARA:
MCM from the Air
21 May 09

2. MCM
RELEVANCE AND IMPORTANCE
US SHIP CASUALTIES BY WEAPON TYPE
1950-PRESENT
16
KOREA 1950-52
USS PRINCETON
14 VIETNAM 1969-72
USS TRIPOLI
ISRAEL 1967 USS TRIPOLI USS S.B. ROBERTS
12
IRAN 1987-88 USS WARRINGTON
USS PRINCETON
USS WESTCHESTER COUNTY
10 IRAQ 1991
USS BARTON
TERRORIST 2000 USS E.G. SMALL
8
USS WALKE
USS MANSFIELD
6 USS BRUSH
USS COLE
USS SARSI
4 USS PARTRIDGE
USS PLEDGE
2 USS HIGBEE USS PIRATE
USS STARK USS LIBERTY USS LIBERTY USS COLE USS MAGPIE
MISSILE TORPEDO AIRPLANE SMALL BOAT MINE 2

3. The Threat to Assured Access
Moored Moored Floating
Anti-Invasion Buried/Partially Bottom Rising
Contact Influence Contact
Buried Influence Influence
 The real goal of a minefield is Sea Denial, NOT the damage or destruction of a specific ship.
 The Sea is a maneuver area. Navy goal is to assure Access, support STOM/OMFTS, NOT counter
every mine. • Over 300 Mine Types
• Over 50 Countries Possess
• Low Cost but High effects
• Simple to Deploy
• Asymmetric
4

4. SUMMARY OF MINING EVENTS (1980 – PRESENT)
• 50-60 VESSELS SUNK OR DAMAGED
– MAJORITY IN SRI LANKA
• MANY ARMED CONTACT MINES ADRIFT
– PERSIAN GULF
• > 20 LIVES LOST AT-SEA & ASHORE
• COSTLY SHIP REPAIRS/REPLACEMENTS
• EXPENSIVE MULTI-NATIONAL MCM OPERATIONS
• EXTENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
60+ COUNTRIES WITH MINING CAPABILITIES

5. MINING OF MISRATAH
• MINED BY LIBYAN GOVERNMENT FORCES (29 Apr 11)
– ATTEMPT TO CLOSE PORT
• MINES DEPLOYED OUTSIDE
HARBOR ENTRANCE
– 2 “QUICKLY CLEARED”
– 1 “DRIFTED AWAY”
• “ANTI-SHIPPING” MINES
– MOORED CONTACT MINES
• LIBYA PROVEN MINER LIBYAN MOORED CONTACT MINE
– 1984 RED SEA MINING
(Reuters) - NATO minesweepers searched the
approaches of Misratah harbor Monday for a
drifting mine that has blocked aid supplies to
the besieged Libyan city and halted
evacuation of foreigners and wounded
Libyans.

6. NAVAL MINE TRENDS
• Increasing Lethality Ranges and Minable Waters
– Torpedo-mines
– Deeper anchor depths
• Emerging Anti-Helo and ACV Capabilities
• Mine Employment More Difficult to Detect
– Denial & Deception improving
– Standoff employment
• Improved Target Discrimination/CCM Features
– Microprocessor controlled triple influence TDDs/upgrade kits
– Target libraries improving
• Minehunting Increasingly Difficult
– Stealth technology application growing
• Security and Flexibility of Minefield Control Improving
– Wireless Remote Control (Acoustic, EM, RF)
CONVERGENCE OF WEAPONS, DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND WIDE AREA
SENSORS NETWORKS

7. Straight Rising Propelled Warhead Mines
• PROPELLED-WARHEAD MINE
– STRAIGHT-RISING
– ROCKET PROPELLED
• PASSIVE ACOUSTIC
EM55
• 130 kg WARHEAD
• CASE DEPTH: 50-150 m
• ANCHOR DEPTH: 55 – 200 m
• SUBMARINE, SHIP-LAID
• ASUW

8. Encapsulated Torpedo Mines
• PMK-2
• PASSIVE / ACTIVE ACOUSTIC
• MPT-1M THERMAL TORPEDO
• CASE/ANCHOR: 400/1000 m
• WIDE AREA COVERAGE

9. Agile Minelayers
• EXERCISE MINES LOADED
ON SMALL BOATS

10. ROCKET LAUNCHED MINES
ROCKET LAUNCHER WATER IMPACT
DRIFTING MINES?

11. MINE STEALTH
IRREGULAR SHAPES CLOSE-TETHER MOORINGS
NON-MAGNETIC CASES
CASE BURIAL
ACTIVE CASE BURIAL

12. AIRLANT role in MCM
Man, Train and Equip
• HM-14
y Dedicated
• HM-15 T oda
• HSC-Expeditionary Organic
re
AMCM F utu
MCM Triad
MCM Triad
UMCM SMCM
4

13. Today’s Dedicated AMCM
Around the world in 72 Hours
HM-14 – homeport Norfolk
Det 1 supporting C7F in Pohang, Korea (2 a/c)
HM-15 – homeport change to Norfolk Sept 09
(BRAC)
Det 2 supporting C5F in Bahrain (4 a/c)
5

14. What makes up an HM squadron?
5

15. HM Mission Requirements
• Provide a 72-hour rapid-response Airborne Mine Countermeasures
(AMCM) capability worldwide to support COCOM requirements.
• Provide secondary capability for Vertical Onboard Delivery (VOD)
and Heavy Lift.
• Operate from ship or fully expeditionary shore self-support capable
7

16. Requirement: 28 total aircraft inventory
• 20 AMCM aircraft to cover multiple OPLAN and NORTHCOM
HLD AMCM requirements
– Includes 4 VOD a/c to cover EUCOM or other COCOM heavy lift
logistic requirements and NORTHCOM HA/DR relief requirements.
– HM AMCM to cover requirement with HC-4 Decom in Sept 07
• 4 Aircraft on the line for FRS throughput
• 2 RDTE a/c in P-City (supports alternative platform Organic
AMCM systems DT/OT)
• 2 aircraft for pipeline (10% of inventory)
Bottom Line:
Bottom Line:
20 MH-53E provide world-wide AMCM response
20 MH-53E provide world-wide AMCM response
capability
capability
No comparable NATO/coalition capability exists
No comparable NATO/coalition capability exists 6

17. AMCM Capabilities
• Rapid mine sweeping
– Actuate influence mines (MK-105)
– Sever moored mines from their tether
(MK-103 Mechanical Sweep)
• Mine hunting
– Uses sonar or laser energy to locate,
classify, and identify mines
• Requires follow-on intervention for
disposal
9

18. Capability: Mine Hunting
AN/AQS-24
AN/AQS-24A
Manta MK 36
UNCLAS
10

19. AN/AQS-24 Laser Line Scan
MK-36
CRN 73
7
AQS-24 Sonar

20. AMCM Contingency Systems
AQS-20 Configuration
Three of five OAMCM systems MH-53E compatible:
• AQS-20 and AMNS contingency systems approved for MH-53E
• Both systems have passed OPTEVFOR OA test program on MH-53E
• Full OT not funded in favor of MH-60S platform
• OASIS currently undergoing CT testing on MH-53E
12

21. Pacing Capability: Influence Mine Sweeping
MK-105
AN/SPU-1/W
Magnetic Orange Pipe MK-104
24

22. AN/SPU-1W (MOP)
• AN/SPU-1W: Remains
effective against influence
mines in brackish to fresh
water. In service.
10

23. MK-104
• Acoustic minesweeping
system.
• Generates a sound field
capable of actuating
acoustic mines.
• Streamed, towed and
recovered from MH-53E.
9

24. MK-105 MOD IV
• Hydrofoil towed and
remotely controlled
from helicopter.
• Launched from ships,
ramps or remote sites.
• Provides a safe and
reliable method of
detonating magnetic
influence mines.
• MK-106: combination
acoustic / magnetic
sweeps.
(MK-104 + MK-105 = MK-106)
11

25. MK-103
• Mechanical minesweeping
system used for sweeping
moored mines.
• Streamed, towed and
recovered from MH-53E.
• Consists of a port and
starboard diverted wire
sweep armed with cutters.
• Sweep wires diverted by
otters and supported by
marker floats.
8

26. Austere Site AMCM Operations
39

27. HM NVD transition
Crawl – walk – run implementation
within the MH-53E fleet
12

28. Other MCM in R&D
Counter-mine Remote Mine-hunting Unmanned Surface
system (JDAM) System (RMS) Sweep System (US3)
Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance UUV Low Frequency Broad Band Sonar 18
and Analysis (COBRA) (UUV LFBB)

29. MH-53E: What has changed since 2005?
• OAMCM
MH-53E demand evolving beyond AMCM: Sea Base AR/LSB
• Sea Base CONOPS:
- Heavy Lift•OAMC
ICD approved by JROC
• OIF/GWOT Heavy lift requirements
- ISO 3rd Army in Iraq
• Increased demand for HA/DR assets
TSUNAMI HA/DR OPS GWOT / OIF
17

30. DSCA support
• • Surveys of 12 DoD ports underway • Change detection
Surveys of 12 DoD ports underway
• • Surveys allow change detection
Surveys allow change detection
• • In experiments change detection:
In experiments change detection:
will reduce time to
– Eliminated 54% of mine-like objects
– Eliminated 54% of mine-like objects
– Reduced clearance time by 30% clear a port.
– Reduced clearance time by 30%
• Heavy lift provides
unmatched capability
responding to civil
emergencies.
6

31. MH-53E Look-back
• Tsunami Relief JAN-MAR 05 HADR (PACOM)
• JTF KATRINA AUG-SEP 05 HADR (NORTHCOM)
• JTF RITA SEP 05 HADR (NORTHCOM
• RIMPAC 06 JUN–AUG 06 MIW (PACOM)
• PANAMAX 06 AUG–SEP 06 MIW (SOUTHCOM)
• JTF LEBANON AUG – Nov 06 NEO (EUCOM)
• POTUS MAR 07 Uruguay/Mexico SOUTHCOM
• 3P (C7F AOR) MAY-NOV 07 HADR/GWOT (PACOM)
HM-15 deliver essential supplies during Katrina MH-53E during RIMPAC Sled Ops 18

32. FDNF – CENTCOM AOR
• Pakistan Relief OCT-NOV 05 HADR
• FAWOMOEX 05-2 OCT 06 MIW
• NAUTICAL UNION JUL 06 MIW
• SAIPAN MK-105 SEP – NOV 06 MIW
• RFF 3rd Army IRAQ JAN06-JAN 07 GWOT support
MK-105 SAIPAN C5F Ops 19
HM-15 conducting HADR in Pakistan

33. MH-53E FLEX
• MH-53Es begin reaching their
structural service life limit in FY-
07
• Fatigue Life Extension (FLEX) –
extends fatigue life limit of a/c
from 6900 to 10,000 hours
• Costs $500,000 per a/c ($4M for 16
AMCM aircraft)
• Limited FLEX (16 a/c) maintains
inventory through FY 15.
• Allows Navy flexibility in
assessing long term requirement
for MH-53E or HLR
36

34. MH-53E
Program Milestones
• 1987 MH-53E enters service as Navy’s AMCM platform
• PR07 MH-53E Fatigue Life Extension (FLEX) extends service
life from 2009 to 2014
• POM 08 Navy VOD (HLR) strategy (AR/LSB ICD):
– IOC 2015
– FOC 2020
– Inventory Objective: 20 - 32 (notional) AOA to inform
40
MH-53E Requirement AR/LSB VOD (HLR)?
35
30
Number of Airframes
25
20 MH-53E Total Active Inventory
15
10
5
0
03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 RO
37
Year

35. MH-53E Sustainment
1. MH-53E Fatigue Life Extension Program
2. Integrated Threat Warning System
3. Night Vision Device (NVD) Capability
4. Integrated Mechanical Diagnostic/Health and Usage Monitoring
System (IMD/HUMS)
5. Leverage off USMC HLR Program for MH-53E Follow-on Aircraft
6. Leverage off USMC T-64 Engine Reliability Improvement Program
7. Replace Kapton wiring
8. Continue to Fund MH-53E Simulator
9. Leverage off USMC Common Defensive Weapon System (GAU-21)
10. #2 Engine Exhaust Redesign
Fully Funded
= Partially Funded = POM-08 Issue =Pom 08
= Unfunded 35

36. Take Away
• H-53E increasingly high demand - low density platform for
COCOMs
– GWOT demand exceeds USMC/USA heavy lift capacity
• Evolving non MIW mission requirements will continue for MH-53E
given GWOT/HADR demand
• HC-4 Decommissioning removes Navy’s remaining non AMCM
heavy lift response option
– Limited AMCM assets will now be pressed for non MIW missions
• Potential impact on core MIW readiness and primary AMCM
response posture
• Required: Unified Navy understanding of and response to future
RFF for non MIW deployments of the MH-53E
20

37. AMCM Outlook
CAPT Paul Lluy
COMHSCWINGLANT
1