DA-Group: MM30, a new naval mine from Finland
Based in Forssa, north-west of Helsinki, the Finnish DA-Group, formed 25 years ago and with a workforce of around 130 people, operates in the electronic field, his expertise including underwater solutions and systems, among which naval mines.
At Euronaval 2020 the DA-Group’s Defence & Aerospace unit unveiled its new Turso naval mine system which includes the MM30 influence sea mine. The key element of the Finnish-built mine is the sensor, known as Turso TDS (Target Detection System), it can be fitted with a number of detection devices such as acoustic, magnetic, pressure ( static, dynamic or differential), inertial, UEP (Underwater Electric Potential) and photonic. The standard TDS operates at depths between 10 and 200 meters, however the DA Group can increase the latter figure to cope with customers’ requirements. Not much is provided in terms of technical details, the lifetime in water “up to several years” clearly showing adequate battery power and low consumption when the system is on stand-by. The company declares a lifetime of 25 years. Beside the actual target detection device which is fitted to the mine, the TDS is a complete system that includes a programming device, a data logger and a suite of development and maintenance tools. According to the DA-Group the TDS is at TRL 9, which means it was proven in operational environment, according to European Union TRL definitions.
The multi-sensor TDS is located on top of the MM30, and is followed by the detonator; no details are available, however the company states that it aimed at providing users with a naval mine ensuring maximum safety to all those that will handle it. No figures are available on the amount of explosive, as this will be based on customer’s requirements; while IM (Insensitive Munition) explosive is the preferred option, the DA-Group is ready to fit its sensor and detonation system to the explosive module required by the customer. The same applies for the delivery system, the MM30 being compatible with any rail system according to customer’s specifications. To this end the DA-Group’s Defence & Aerospace unit developed a mine delivery system known as Sumico which fits into a 20-foot container size, and can thus be installed on any naval unit that can transport such a container.
Image courtesy DA-Group
