(57) The present invention relates to minehunting and disposal systems. Known methods
of minehunting and disposal comprise the deployment of several relatively large ships
each having a crew of the order of thirty personnel. The known ships are expensive
since they have to be specially fabricated so as to present a low magnetic signature
and low noise generation.
This invention provides a system comprising a parent ship providing support facilities
for a plurality of operational craft (10, 12, 14, 16), the operational craft (10,
12, 14, 16) being relatively small and being provided with known mine detection and
destruction equipment (34). The parent ship is preferably designed and equipped so
as to be capable of carrying the operational craft (10, 12, 14, 16) on board, such
that the operational craft may be transported to the area of deployment. The operational
craft (10, 12, 14, 16) preferably have hulls (16) providing a substantial portion
of its buoyancy submerged together with a relatively small water plane area, for example
a Small Water Plane Area Twin Hull type craft.
This system reduces the number of personnel exposed to a single risk and the operational
craft present a low magnetic signature and low noise generation due to their size
and these endowments are particularly enhanced if the preferred form of hull (16)
is utilised.
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