Terrain Constraints on the Design, Testing, and Development of the Gator Mine

Abstract

The GATOR mine system consists of two look-alike, air-delivered, target-activated mines. One version, the antipersonnel (AP) mine, utilizes a seismic sensor. Tests in various terrains within the United States indicated a non-uniform sensitivity existed in the seismic sensor. It was demonstrated that soil characteristics can affect sensor sensitivity, causing the mine to detonate when the target is beyond warhead lethal range, or causing it not to detonate at all. Using computer models that were validated through field studies, this report attempts to predict the expected sensitivity of the GATOR AP seismic sensor. A terrain matrix, made up of elements describing surface and subsurface terrain layers that affect target-induced seismic signal generation and propagation, was developed to define environmental parameter variation. Computer model signals were generated using the matrix results for input to the GATOR mine logic. The results were utilized to define mine performance changes over the environmental parameter ranges. Terrain property combinations which have major effects on source-to-ground energy coupling and seismic signal propagation were evaluated using U.S. Army Engineering Waterways Experiment Station microseismic generation and propagation models. The models were validated to verify if they could realistically predict, with sufficient sensitivity and reliability, time domain signals versus terrain characteristics.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1975
Accession Number
ADB008895

Entities

People

  • J. R. Lundien

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Analog Signals
  • Computers
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Elastic Waves
  • Engineers
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft
  • Reliability
  • Secondary Waves
  • Terrain
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Time Domain
  • United States
  • Waterways
  • Waves

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Munitions and Ordnance Engineering
  • Seismology