US to Sell Taiwan Volcano Delivery Mine System

choi

Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States -- Volcano System. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), US Department of Defense, Dec 28, 2022 (Transmittal No 22-70).
https://www.dsca.mil/press-media ... ce-united-states-27
("The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States of Volcano (vehicle-launched) anti-tank munition-laying systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $180 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.  The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) has requested to buy Volcano (vehicle-launched) anti-tank munition-laying systems; M977A4 HEMTT 10-Ton cargo trucks; M87A1 Anti-Tank (AT) munitions; M88 canister training munitions (practice dummy ammunition rounds); M89 training munitions (test ammunition rounds) * * * The principal contractor(s) will be Northrop Grumman, West Falls Church, VA for production of munition canister mines; and Oshkosh Corporation, Oshkosh, WI for production of the M977A4 HEMTT vehicles")

Note:
(a) Volcano Multiple Delivery Mine System. Picatinny Arsenal, US Department of Defense, undated
https://www.pica.army.mil/pmccs/ ... ymines/Volcano.html
(full text: "The Volcano is a mass scatterable mine delivery system that delivers mines by helicopter or ground vehicle. It enables tactical commanders to emplace antitank/antipersonnel (AT/AP) or pure AT minefields with a minimum of personnel. A Soldier-selectable, self-destruct mechanism destroys the mine at the end of its active lifecycle – 4 hours to 15 days – depending on the time selected [to avert the need to demine the field]. Using a ground vehicle, a 1,000-meter minefield can be laid in 4 to 12 minutes based on terrain and vehicle speed. A helicopter can complete the mission in 20 seconds. Advantages of this system include faster response, increased lethality, greater efficiency and enhanced safety")
• Volcano delivery mine system is under the supervision of Product Manager Close Combat System (PM CCS), of Picatinny Arsenal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picatinny_Arsenal
(1880- ; based in Morris County, New Jersey; got its name "after the Lenape-named peak overlooking the old forge, loosely translated to mean 'rugged cliff by water' or 'water by the hills.' ")

Lenape is a Native American tribe.
• There were and are many loci called old forge (where a iron shop once stood), but not Sterling Iron Works in New York state neat the New Jersey line.

Hudson River Chains
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River_Chains
(map caption: "Map of West Point fortifications from 1778 to 1783, showing the Great Chain * * * ")

David Levine, A 75-Ton Chain Once Stretched Across the Hudson to Stop the British. Hudson Valley Magazine, Jan 10, 2018
https://hvmag.com/life-style/his ... merican-revolution/
("From the earliest moments of the War for Independence, each side knew that the key to victory was the Hudson River. The hotbed of the revolution was in Boston and most of Gen. George Washington’s nascent Continental Army were from the northeast. The river separated the northeast from the rest of the country. If the British took control of the river, the head would be cut off from the body, and both sides knew what would follow.  By 1776, the British had seized New York City and held on to Canada, and had a water route just about the entire way between the two. Blocking British ships became paramount. But American fortifications in the valley were not sufficient. Gen George Washington needed a great idea. He got it from an English-born patriot named Thomas Machin. * * * Their report recommended West Point, 'as it is not only the narrowest part of the said river, but best situated, on account of the high hills contiguous to it, as well on the west as east side of the river which cover those parts; so that without a strong easterly wind, or the tide, no vessel can pass it; and the tide on said part of the river is generally so reverse, that a vessel is usually thrown on one side of the river or the other, by means whereof such vessel lay fair and exposed' to the men and guns lying in wait on shore. * * * West Point then was not what West Point is now. It was a somewhat shabby redoubt, one of many up and down the river that failed to halt the enemy. But the chain had succeeded. * * *  There are differing opinions on where the iron for the Chain was mined: Sculley says the iron was mined in New Jersey and other areas, while Doc Bayne, president of the Friends of Sterling Forest, says all the iron was mined in Sterling Forest. It was smelted at the Sterling Furnace, according to Bayne, and the pig-iron bars were taken to secret forges [note the plural] to be forged into links (see sidebar). The links were brought by oxen sleds to New Windsor, assembled in chains of 10 links, and floated on rafts to West Point. 'Machin was in charge,' Sculley says")

Sterling Iron Works
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Iron_Works
("The company was most famous for forging the Hudson River Chain * * *  The works were operational from 1761 to 1842. * * * At the close of 1779, West Point was the strongest military post in America. In addition to the batteries that stood menacingly upon the hill tops, the river was obstructed by an enormous defensive iron chain. The iron of which this chain was constructed was wrought from ore of equal parts, from the Stirling and Long Mines, in Orange county. The chain was manufactured at the Stirling Iron Works about 25 miles (40 km) from West Point"_
was located at Sterling Forest State Park
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Forest_State_Park
(in Orange County, New York)
(i) Beneath the text (I am referring to www.pica.army.mil) is an illustration of six stacked mine canisters in parallel with a tube for launching canister individually.
(ii) The US Amy developed Volcano delivery mine system in 1980s, which is now made by Northrop Grumman, although the latter's website does not have a page for it.
(iii) So the DECA announcement implied that US will not sell anti-personnel or helicopter-launched Volcano delivery mine system.

(b) Volcano mine system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano_mine_system
(section 1 Overview, section 1.1 Air Volcano)

There is no need to read the rest of this Wiki page, except the photo whose caption reads, "M88 training mine."

(c) There is no video for air Volcano. The following is the best for ground Volcano.
(i) M136 Volcano Mine System deployed using HEMTT. YouTubecom, uoloaded by Alex Green on May 31, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHxEXXg_Giw
(ii) HEMTT stands for Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He ... lity_Tactical_Truck