Munitions

Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mine

Also known as
  • Mk 65
  • MK-65
  • Mark 65
  • Mk-65 Quick Strike
  • Mk 65 Quickstrike
  • Mk-65 Quickstrike
  • Quickstrike mine

The Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mine is the 2,000-pound member of the U.S. Navy Quickstrike aircraft-laid mine family. Unlike the Mk 62 and Mk 63 conversions of general-purpose bomb bodies, the Navy identifies the Mk 65 as a thin-walled mine case for shallow-water attacks against surface and subsurface craft.

Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mine, 2,000-pound naval mine, Munitions
Image source: B-1B Lancers, U.S. Navy live-fire mine exercise
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
2,000-pound naval mine
Service note
1983-present

Specifications

Weight
2,000 pounds
Delivery
Aircraft-laid in shallow water
Mine case
Thin-walled mine case
Targets
Surface and subsurface craft
Family
Quickstrike naval mine family
Role
Maritime area denial
Variants

The Quickstrike family covers aircraft-laid naval mines in multiple weight classes; the Mk 65 is the purpose-built 2,000-pound thin-walled mine case within that family.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Mk 62 Quickstrike naval mine, 500-pound naval mine, MunitionsMk 62 Quickstrike naval mine500-pound Quickstrike mine

The Navy fact file describes the Mk 62 as a 500-pound-class Quickstrike mine converted from a general-purpose bomb body.

Sources: U.S. Navy Mines

Mk 63 Quickstrike naval mine1,000-pound Quickstrike mine

The Navy fact file places the Mk 63 in the Quickstrike family as a 1,000-pound mine converted from a general-purpose bomb body.

Sources: U.S. Navy Mines

Carrier Aircraft

Official exercise and fact-sheet coverage ties the Mk 65 to both maritime-patrol and bomber aircraft used for aircraft-laid mine warfare.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
P-3C Orion patrol aircraft, Maritime patrol aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsP-3C Orion patrol aircraftMaritime-patrol aircraft

VP-8 MINEX coverage identifies the P-3C as a Mk 65-capable aircraft and reports a P-3C dropping two inert Mk 65 mines during a bilateral mine-warfare exercise.

Sources: VP-8 and JMSDF MINEX

B-52 Stratofortress, Long-range heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVsB-52 StratofortressLong-range bomber

DVIDS MINEX coverage lists the B-52H among aircraft that can employ Mk 65 Quickstrike mines.

Sources: VP-8 and JMSDF MINEX

F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical), Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF/A-18 Hornet (Tactical)Carrier-capable strike fighter

DVIDS MINEX coverage lists F/A-18A-D aircraft among the platforms able to employ Mk 65 Quickstrike mines.

Sources: VP-8 and JMSDF MINEX

B-1B Lancer, Long-range, multi-role supersonic bomber, Aircraft & UAVsB-1B LancerLong-range bomber

The B-1B Lancer fact sheet lists up to 8 Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mines in the bomber's armament.

Sources: B-1B Lancer

Aircraft Delivery Context

Public sources document Mk 65 training, inventory, and platform compatibility; they do not identify direct conflict employment of the mine itself.

ContextDocumented detailOperational meaning
Family roleThe Navy fact file places Mk 65 in the Quickstrike family and identifies it as a 2,000-pound thin-walled mine case.Mk 65 is not just a bomb-body conversion; it is the heavy Quickstrike mine case.
Carrier aircraftDVIDS MINEX coverage lists the P-3C, B-52H, F/A-18A-D, and B-1B as aircraft able to employ Mk 65 mines.The same mine can be tied to maritime-patrol aircraft, carrier aviation, and long-range bombers.
Documented trainingVP-8 and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force coverage describes two inert Mk 65 mines dropped from a P-3C during a 2012 exercise; Air Force coverage documents a 2022 B-1B live-fire mine exercise.Public documentation is strongest for training and readiness events, not combat use.

Source labels used here: U.S. Navy Mines; VP-8 and JMSDF MINEX; B-1B Lancers, U.S. Navy live-fire mine exercise.

Timeline

Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mine Key Events

  1. Mk 65 deployed

    The Navy fact file lists the Mk 65 Quickstrike mine's deployment date as 1983.

    Sources: U.S. Navy Mines

  2. P-3C MINEX drop

    DVIDS coverage of a VP-8 and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force mine exercise reports a P-3C dropping two inert Mk 65 mines for training.

    Sources: VP-8 and JMSDF MINEX

  3. B-1B live-fire mine exercise

    Air Force Global Strike Command coverage documents B-1B Lancers working with U.S. Navy mine-warfare personnel during a live-fire Quickstrike mine exercise.

    Sources: B-1B Lancers, U.S. Navy live-fire mine exercise

Media

Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mine Images

Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mine, 2,000-pound naval mine, Munitions - view 1
Source: B-1B Lancers, U.S. Navy live-fire mine exercise
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MON-50, Directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsMON-50Directional fragmentation antipersonnel mineThe MON-50 is a Soviet directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine broadly comparable in role to the M18 Claymore, with a plastic body, folding legs, and a forward fragmentation pattern. It can be command-detonated or configured with tripwire and other fuzing, making it a compact infantry obstacle and ambush munition. Direct monitoring sources document MON-50 use by Russian or Russian-aligned forces in eastern Ukraine, the full-scale Russia-Ukraine War, and the 2019-2020 Tripoli fighting in Libya.

Sources

U.S. Navy MinesPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports the Quickstrike family background, Mk 65 weight, aircraft-laid mine role, thin-walled case, 1983 service entry, and multiple-contractor manufacturer context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29B-1B LancerPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B armament row that lists up to 8 Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mines carried by the bomber. | Accessed: 2026-06-29B-1B Lancers, U.S. Navy live-fire mine exercisePublisher: Air Force Global Strike Command | Note: Supports image provenance for the B-1B mine-exercise photos used on this page and the 2022 B-1B live-fire mine-warfare timeline entry. | Accessed: 2026-06-29VP-8 and JMSDF MINEXPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports the P-3C MINEX timeline entry, the P-3C/B-52H/F/A-18A-D/B-1B carrier-aircraft context, and Mk 65 training-use background. | Accessed: 2026-06-29VP-8 MK-65 Drop ImagePublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports provenance for the P-3C inert Mk 65 mine drop image in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-29