The 500 pound CBU-78 contains 45 antitank and 15 antipersonnel mines. They also have a backup self-destruct time set before aircraft launch. During Desert Storm the Navy and the Marine Corps dropped 209 CBU-78s. The Gator mine system provides a means to emplace minefields on the ground rapidly using high-speed tactical aircraft. The minefields are used for area denial, diversion of moving ground forces, or to immobilize targets to supplement other direct attack weapons.
Gator consists of two companion systems.
AT mine is the heart of the Gator system. Microelectronics in each mine detect targets, discriminate armored vehicles, and detonate the mine when the target reaches the most vulnerable approach point. A Misznay-Schardin explosive charge defeats the belly armor of most vehicles. Upon activation, the AP mine explosion sends high-velocity fragments in a horizontal plane over a wide area. Both mines have a programmable self-destruct feature which permits the battlefield commander to control the timing of a counterattack or defensive maneuver.