In one test at Hawaii the struts failed and the gun barrel exited 

 the water. Though the primary cause was the fact that the launch 

 vehicle delivered to the government had not been fabricated in accordance 

 with specifications (Keenan, et al, 1969) , the incident emphasizes 

 the need for a better structural shape and larger factor of safety in 

 the structural design. Further, the launch vehicle is too large and 

 heavy. Its round base makes it expensive to fabricate and complicates 

 stowing, assembling, and handling aboard ship. Attaining these 

 improvements in the launch vehicle is a first order priority for on-going 

 development. 



Coral Anchor-Projectile 



The coral anchor-projectile penetrated coral and developed holding 

 capacities near the 160,000-pound holding objective. Holding action was 

 accomplished under two conditions. In one, the anchor-projectile was 

 embedded to a depth such that the cable and cable connection remained 

 clear of the seaf loor-water interface. In this condition the load 

 component was largely in a horizontal direction and tended to overturn 

 or rotate the anchor. In the second condition the anchor-projectile 

 was embedded to a depth such that the cable connection was below the 

 seaf loor-water interface, Figure 15. Here, the load component on the 

 anchor was primarily vertical tending to extract the anchor straight 

 upward. The anchor-projectiles suffered negligible damage due to the 

 penetration and load applications in coral. 



At the Anacapa Island test site a coral anchor-projectile, modified 

 by making its tip more pointed, Figure 6, penetrated the rock to a 

 depth of about 54 inches and developed a holding capacity of over 

 160,000 pounds. The test specimen suffered negligible damage as a 

 result of the test. In the subsequent operation in basalt at the Cobb 

 Seamount the anchor-projectile penetrated the rock about 30 inches but 

 was damaged in the process. Holding capacity was seriously reduced 

 as a result of the damage. 



In general, the coral anchor-projectile performed satisfactorily 

 and showed promise of broader application than the originally specified 

 ability to function in coral. By changing the configuration and heat 

 treating the edges to harden them it is believed that a version of the 

 coral anchor-projectile can be made functional for use in some types 

 of rock as well as in coral. 



Sand/Mud Anchor-Projectile 



The sand anchor-projectile and the original mud anchor-projectile 

 with the large flukes were successfully fired into the seafloor without 

 being damaged. Penetration to about 18 feet and a holding capacity 

 of over 100,000 pounds were achieved in sand. However, penetrations 

 inadequate to allow the flukes to open also were experienced. 



