Major modifications of the present design are not practicable 

 because improvements are needed that cannot be accommodated with the 

 existing hardware. The two features of the design where improvements 

 would be most immediately beneficial are the launch vehicle and the 

 ordnance system. The launch vehicle needs to be made smaller and less 

 heavy for handling, placing and retrieving. Also, it needs to be 

 better configured for ease and economy of constructing and assembling 

 and for better structural integrity. A launch vehicle constructed of 

 standard straight steel shapes appears to be feasible. The safe and 

 arm device needs to be simplified, miniaturized, made less expensive, 

 and the mild detonating fuzes eliminated. Work on the design of a new 

 launch vehicle and S/A device to obtain in these improvements has been 

 initiated. 



Improvements in these two features would increase the practicality 

 and expand the range of capabilities of the explosive salvage anchor. 

 The original goals need to be re-examined and realistically appraised 

 as to the priority of salvage anchor capabilities. 



As visualized at the inception of the program, the explosive anchor 

 would be a standard shipboard item and would supplement or even supplant 

 the standard EELLS anchor as the salvage anchor. In normal cruising it 

 would be in a disassembled state and stowed on salvage vessels in 

 locations that minimize interference with normal ship routine. When 

 a salvage situation developed, the explosive salvage anchor would be 

 brought to a readiness state as the salvage vessel proceeded to the 

 salvage site. 



A possible operational concept would be to have the explosive 

 anchors in pools at strategic locations. The anchors and quickly- 

 mountable accessory handling gear could be picked up by salvage ships 

 or transported to them by air. The conventional EELLS anchors would be 

 retained as standard shipboard gear and the explosive anchors would 

 be used in hard seafloors and/or for direct emplantments where 

 presetting pulls and displacements are intolerable. 



The performance requirements would have the anchor capable of 

 functioning in hard seafloors such as coral and capable of developing 

 holding capacities of 100,000 pounds, i.e., the approximate capacity 

 of a Navy beach gear leg, vice 160,000 pounds. Full functionabili ty 

 in sand and mud seafloors would be a secondary requirement to be 



attained later. The performance criteria for operating in rough 

 seas and to depths of water of 500 feet would remain the same. 



An improved explosive salvage anchor design emanating from the 

 proposed new launch vehicle and ordnance system should meet or exceed 

 these revised operational and performance criteria. Thus, it would 

 fulfill a required capability in the near future and provide a well- 

 established base from which to ultimately expand capability to the 

 original goals established. Future work would include improving 

 anchor-projectile designs for use in all types of seafloor and 

 achieving a better more reliable means of controlling the firing, such 

 as with an electro-mechanical cable. 



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