OVERVIEW: The Mk41 Destructor Mine (DST) is an air- or sea-laid bottom mine created by converting a 2,000‑lb Mk84 general-purpose bomb with a modular mine kit. It enables rapid deployment of influence-triggered naval mines using existing bomb stockpiles.

DETAILS: Mk41 uses the Mk75 Destructor conversion kit to turn a Mk84 bomb into a mine equipped with arming mechanism, booster, battery, and magnetic-influence fuzing. The system was introduced during the Vietnam War era, enabling aircraft to lay mines from canals, harbors, or open waters; it later expanded to naval use aboard submarines and ships. As part of the DST family (Mk36, Mk40, Mk41), it offers a scalable mine solution leveraging low-drag GP bomb bodies. The magnetic-influence fuzing allows activation of the mine in proximity to vessel hulls without direct contact.

FUNCTION: Once deployed, the Mk41 sinks to the seabed, arms after a short delay, and passively monitors for magnetic signatures of passing ships. When a vessel’s field crosses the mine’s threshold, the fuzing triggers detonation to damage or sink the ship.

NOTE:
IOC: 1967 (first DST mines in Vietnam era)
Operators: United States Navy, United States Air Force
Platforms: Aircraft (P‑3 Orion, F‑111, F/A‑18, among others), submarines, and ships
Conflict used in: Vietnam War (riverine and coastal mining), Cold War contingency; no confirmed wartime naval losses

SOURCE: GlobalSecurity.org MK41 DST profile: globalsecurity.org
