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The Mark 60 CAPTOR (Encapsulated Torpedo) is the United States' only deep-water anti-submarine naval mine.<ref name=cimsec>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=hartshorn /><ref name=vp4assoc /> It uses a Mark 46 torpedo<ref name=vp4assoc /><ref name=hartshorn /> contained in an aluminum shell that is anchored to the ocean floor.<ref name=vp4assoc /> The mine can be placed by either aircraft, submarine or surface vessel.<ref name=vp4assoc /><ref name=hartshorn /> The torpedo, once placed, can last anywhere from weeks to months underwater.<ref name=hartshorn /> The original production contract of the CAPTOR mine was awarded to Goodyear Aerospace in 1972, and entered service in 1979.<ref name=hartshorn /> It was hoped to reduce minefield costs and used in the creation of a barrier of the "Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap to interrupt Soviet submarines in the event that deterrence failed."<ref name=cimsec />
The mine uses Reliable Acoustic Path (RAP)<ref name=vp4assoc /><ref name=navweaps1 /> sound propagation to passively identify and track the difference between hostile submarine signatures, surface vessels and friendly submarines.<ref name=hartshorn /> Once identified, the torpedo leaves its casing to destroy its target.