Sea mines have always been predominantly a littoral asymmetric undersea weapon targeted against surface ships and submarines. Currently they have the potential to be used as a terrorist weapon for a variety of purposes within the category of IED. Whatever the definition, countering mines has attracted and still interests a large number of investments from governments around the world.
Many Navies have built a reputation in the clearance of sea mines based on specialised manned vessels, but this situation is changing with the introduction of unmanned platforms to conduct MCM missions. Now, many nations are embarking on procurement programmes designed to smooth the transition from the use of traditional assets to the new unmanned MCM vehicles, whilst at the same time make substantial cost savings. It is however imperative that MCM performance is maintained in what has always been a complex and challenging operational environment.
The UDT TPC is seeking papers under the following headings:
Sea Mine Technology Innovations
Sea Mine Countermeasures
Operational Trends in MCM