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Mark 56 Mine

The Mk 56 mine is an explosive-loaded moored mine operationally planted by aircraft. Although intended primarily as an anti-submarine weapon, it can also be used effectively against surface craft.

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Description

The Mk 56 mine is an explosive-loaded (HBX-3) moored mine operationally planted by B-52H Stratofortress, F/A-18A/D Hornet, and P-3C Orion aircraft.

This 2,000-pound mine consists of an anchor, mechanism section, explosive section, and flight gear. Although intended primarily as an anti-submarine weapon, it can also be used effectively against surface craft. The mine employs a magnetic firing mechanism, which uses a total-field magnetometer as its influence detector. Unlike earlier search coils which responded to changes in only one component of a ship's magnetic field, the Mine Mk 56's magnetometer responds to changes in magnitude of the total background field. The mechanism/explosive sections are painted brick red and the anchor is painted black.

The Mk 56 training mine is a recoverable, inert-loaded mine identical in size and weight to its Service mine counterpart. It is designed solely for training aviation personnel flying B-52H, F/A-18A/D, and P-3C aircraft in the techniques of carrying mines and planting minefields.

This mine consists of a non-functional anchor since it does not separate and moor the mine's mechanism section. It also has an inert-loaded explosive section, an arming device simulator, and functional flight gear. The mechanism and inert-loaded explosive sections are painted either white with orange stripes or orange with white stripes and the anchor remains black.