The Countermine System (CMS), also known as Venom Darts , Venom Penetrators and GBU-61 , is an anti-land-mine system consisting of chemical or explosive projectiles released from modified GPS -guided bombs. The darts are used to detonate or deactivate land mines in beach and surf zones . The system was developed by the United States (U.S.) Navy and Boeing at an initial cost of US$ 153-million. The CMS is expected to be field ready by 2016.
8-397: The CMS typically consists of 4,000 .50-caliber darts containing the chemical Diethylenetriamine (DETA) or a small amount of explosive, carried by 2,000-pound (910 kg) GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) systems. The tungsten tipped darts, each about 5.9 inches (15 cm) long, are clustered in multiple layers within a 7-foot (2.1 m) tubular canister contained within
16-434: A corkscrew mechanism that releases the inner canister with a rotational motion, causing panels to separate and the payload of darts to deploy in a 60 foot (18 m) diameter circular pattern. The darts penetrate the soil, or water and sand, at a velocity of 300 metres (980 ft) per second. The darts, capable of penetrating more than 10 feet (3.0 m) of water or 2 feet (0.61 m) of sand, either detonate or deactivate
24-509: A liquid explosive compound similar to PLX . This compound is cap sensitive with an explosive velocity of around 6200 m/s and is discussed in patent #3,713,915. Mixed with unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine it was used as Hydyne , a propellent for liquid-fuel rockets . DETA has been evaluated for use in the Countermine System under development by the U.S. Office of Naval Research , where it would be used to ignite and consume
32-448: Is a common curing agent for epoxy resins in epoxy adhesives and other thermosets. It is N-alkylated upon reaction with epoxide groups forming crosslinks. In coordination chemistry , it serves as a tridentate ligand forming complexes such as Co(dien)(NO 2 ) 3 . Like some related amines, it is used in oil industry for the extraction of acid gas . Like ethylenediamine , DETA can also be used to sensitize nitromethane , making
40-399: Is soluble in water and polar organic solvents, but not simple hydrocarbons . Diethylenetriamine is structural analogue of diethylene glycol . Its chemical properties resemble those for ethylene diamine , and it has similar uses. It is a weak base and its aqueous solution is alkaline. DETA is a byproduct of the production of ethylenediamine from ethylene dichloride . Diethylenetriamine
48-549: The JDAM. The system uses data from the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) system to locate surf zone mines. This positional data is used to program JDAM Assault Breaching System (JABS) bombs, which are dropped over mine fields from Air Force or Navy aircraft from an altitude of about 1,000 feet (300 m). The JDAM bombs, identical in form to BLU-109 bombs , are equipped with
56-520: The land mines. Remaining unactivated darts eventually become inert. Each CMS unit has a projected cost of $ 300,000 to $ 360,000. The system was developed by the U.S. Office of Naval Research to address the problem of 70 million hidden land mines, some which have killed or maimed more than 13,000 U.S. soldiers since 2001. In 2008, the Naval Surface Warfare Center awarded a $ 153-million contract to Boeing to design and develop
64-440: The system, along with a project team of defense contractors including Lockheed Martin , General Dynamics , and Nammo-Talley Defense Systems . The CMS is expected to be field operational by 2016. Diethylenetriamine Diethylenetriamine (abbreviated Dien or DETA) and also known as 2,2’-Iminodi(ethylamine) ) is an organic compound with the formula HN(CH 2 CH 2 NH 2 ) 2 . This colourless hygroscopic liquid
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