Naval/sea mines are manufactured or improvised explosive devices that are placed in waterways to destroy marine vessels, including surface ships and submarines. Although a large number of naval mines have been developed, naval mines can generally be classified as either bottom mines, buoyant moored mines, drifting mines, or limpet mines. Bottom mines are mines that are configured to rest on the bottom of a waterway and are generally triggered when in proximity to a passing vessel. Limpet mines are a special form of contact mine that are manually attached to a vessel via a magnet. Moored mines are generally buoyant, but are tethered in place by a mooring line and anchor. Floating mines are buoyant mines that float on or near the water surface, but generally remain anchored in place. Drifting mines can be positively or neutrally buoyant and are carried by currents and tides.
Naval mines may be either contact mines or influence mines. Contact mines are mines that are designed explode when placed contact with a naval vessel, while influence mines are triggered by the influence of a naval vessel, rather than direct contact. Influence mines generally include sensors (e.g., magnetic, acoustic, seismic, electrical potential, pressure, etc.) that detect when a naval vessel is in proximity to the mine.
Due to the availability and effectiveness of naval mines, mine warfare vessels (naval minesweepers or sweep vessels) are widely deployed by governments and other entities. Naval minesweepers are small naval warships equipped with some type of naval mine sweeping system that is configured to detect and disarm or safely detonate naval mines.
Naval mine sweeping systems may have a number of different configurations, depending on the type of mine that the system is designed to detect and deactivate. In the case of naval mine sweeping systems designed to detect and deactivate moored mines, the system usually includes a cable cutter connected to a sweep line. The sweep line guides the mooring line of the moored mine to the cable cutter. The cable cutter cuts/severs the mooring line so that the moored mine may float to the surface for subsequent deactivation.