A Study of Impact and Penetration of the Gator Mine in Earth Materials

• Main Authors: Ludien, J R, Miller, C A
• Other Authors: ARMY ENGINEER WATERWAYS EXPERIMENT STATION VICKSBURG MS
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1975
• Subjects: Ammunition and Explosives; Armor; *AERIAL MINES; *ANTIPERSONNEL MINES; *ANTITANK MINES; *ANTIVEHICLE WEAPONS; *LAND MINES; ACTIVATION; AERIAL DELIVERY; AERIAL MINES; AIR GUNS; ANGLES; ANTIPERSONNEL MINES; ANTITANK MINES; ANTIVEHICLE WEAPONS; ATTITUDE(INCLINATION); CLAY; COLD WEATHER TESTS; DECELERATION; EARTH(PLANET); EMPLACEMENT; FIELD CONDITIONS; FREEZING; GATOR MINE SYSTEM; GATOR MINES; IMPACT; IMPACT POINT; LAND MINES; MAPPING; MATERIALS; MINE CLEARANCE; MINES(ORDNANCE); PENETRATION; PERFORMANCE(ENGINEERING); PERMAFROST; SAND; SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH; SHAPE; SOIL MECHANICS; SOILS; STRENGTH(MECHANICS); SURFACES; TERRAIN; VEGETATION; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADB012007; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADB012007

This report presents the results of a study of the penetration characteristics of an air-delivered, antitank/antivehicle and antipersonnel mine (Gator mine system) as related to variations in mine impact velocity and attitude and changes in soil strength conditions and vegetation. A theoretical study, a field study, and a mapping study were pursued to estimate worldwide mine penetration performance. The theoretical results are presented in terms of relations of impact velocity (specific velocity ranges) versus maximum depth of penetration and maximum deceleration for various terrain materials. The field study was conducted using an air gun, and the results are presented in terms of relations of impact velocity, depth of penetration, impact angle, impact attitude, and terrain material strength characteristics. In the mapping study the results of the theoretical and field studies were used to estimate the probability of successful emplacement (i. e., in a position suitable for activation) of the mines in any region of the world. The results obtained from the theoretical study show that, for the normal range of impact velocity, penetration is excessive in clay and sandy clay soils, intermediate in sands, and acceptable in frozen ground and rock. The results obtained from the field study showed that penetration was excessive in lean and fat clay soils when the mine impact angle was 90 degrees. Penetration performance becomes more satisfactory as the impact angle decreases. The results of the mapping study show that a large portion of the world has surface soils too soft to allow acceptable emplacement when the impact angle is 90 degrees. Reducing this angle to 45 degrees will allow acceptable emplacement in many regions.