Patent ID: 8161899

Claim:
A mine for launching multiple torpedoes in water comprising: an elongate container having at least two launch tubes, each of said launch tubes having launch tube cover at an outer end; one torpedo contained in each of said launch tubes; a programmable target detection sensor unit in said elongate container configured to sense impinging stimuli indicative of an approaching target and to generate representative target signals; a main controller in said elongate container coupled to receive said target signals from said target detection sensor unit, said main controller being preprogrammed to recognize targets of interest from said target signals and to generate appropriate launch control signals for one or more of said torpedoes; a launching system in said elongate container coupled to said main controller and each of said launch tubes to feed high pressure gas to the base and interior to selected ones of said launch tubes and said torpedoes contained in them to effect launch from said elongate container into said water; a main protective top cover at a first end of said elongate container covering all of said torpedoes; and an anchor section at the opposite end of said elongate container, said launch tubes extending between said first and opposite ends of said elongate container; wherein said launch tube covers are disposed inside said main top cover.