Minimum metal mine
Encyclopedia
A minimum metal mine is a land mine
that is designed to use the minimum amount of metal in its construction . Both minimum metal anti-tank
and anti-personnel mine
s exist. Some designs contain almost no metal at all. Typically this is achieved by using a plastic
, wooden
or glass
body holding the explosive charge, with a few small metallic components limited to those which are not easily replicable in other materials, such as the spring, striker tip, and shear wire. Minimum metal mines are difficult to detect using conventional metal mine detectors
, but may be vulnerable to detection using more modern techniques.
Glasmine 43
, Schu-mine 42
and Topfmine
used during World War II
. These designs were either difficult or impossible to find using 1940s metal detectors.
Many different types of minimum metal mines have been produced in various countries over the years. Relatively modern examples include the antitank mines M19
(USA, less than 3g of metal) and TMA-3
(Serbia
, no metal) and the anti-personnel mines PRB M-409 (Belgium
, less than 1g) and the PMA-2
or PMA-3
Serbia, (approx 1g non-magnetic) and VS-50
(Italy). Since the 1970s and until 1993 (when the country enacted a national landmines manufacturing ban, four years before signing the Ottawa Treaty
) Italy
became a world leader in the manufacture of minimum metal mines; the three main Italian landmine manufacturers were mostly producing minimum-metal by the early 1980s. Valsella Meccanotecnica
SpA manufactured the VS-50
and VS-Mk2
. Misar SpA produced the SB-81
and SB-33
, and Tecnovar Italiana SpA produced the TS-50
), and the TC/3.6 and TC/6 mines
).
containing a mixture of friction-sensitive pyrotechnic composition and glass powder. Downward pressure concentrated on the vial crushes and fractures it, causing a flash of flame which triggers the detonator
and initiates the main explosive charge. By definition, such mines cannot be found using metal detectors because there is no metal to detect.
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
that is designed to use the minimum amount of metal in its construction . Both minimum metal anti-tank
Anti-tank mine
An anti-tank mine, , is a type of land mine designed to damage or destroy vehicles including tanks and armored fighting vehicles....
and anti-personnel mine
Anti-personnel mine
Anti-personnel mines are a form of land mine designed for use against humans, as opposed to anti-tank mines, which are designed for use against vehicles...
s exist. Some designs contain almost no metal at all. Typically this is achieved by using a plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
, wooden
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
or glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
body holding the explosive charge, with a few small metallic components limited to those which are not easily replicable in other materials, such as the spring, striker tip, and shear wire. Minimum metal mines are difficult to detect using conventional metal mine detectors
Metal detector
A metal detector is a device which responds to metal that may not be readily apparent.The simplest form of a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field...
, but may be vulnerable to detection using more modern techniques.
Examples
Early examples included the GermanNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Glasmine 43
Glasmine 43
The Glasmine 43 was an anti-personnel mine used by the Germans during World War II.In order to make the mine less detectable, the entire body is made from glass. Aside from being less detectable, the use of less metal was beneficial because it saved this valuable war resource for other uses...
, Schu-mine 42
Schu-mine 42
The Schu-mine 42 was a German anti-personnel blast landmine used during the Second World War. It consisted of a simple wooden box with a hinged lid containing a 200 g block of cast TNT. A slot in the lid pressed down on the striker retaining pin, sufficient pressure on the lid caused the pin to...
and Topfmine
Topfmine
The Topfmines were a series of German circular minimum metal anti-tank blast mines that entered service with the German army in 1944, during the Second World War....
used during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. These designs were either difficult or impossible to find using 1940s metal detectors.
Many different types of minimum metal mines have been produced in various countries over the years. Relatively modern examples include the antitank mines M19
M19 mine
The M19 is a large square plastic cased U.S. anti-tank blast mine. The design dates from the mid-1960s and has only two metal components: the copper detonator capsule and stainless steel firing pin which weighs 2.86 grams. It is a minimum metal mine, which makes it very difficult to detect after it...
(USA, less than 3g of metal) and TMA-3
TMA-3 mine
The TMA-3 is a circular Yugoslavian minimum metal anti-tank blast mine. It is very similar in appearance to the TMA-4. The mine consists of a cast circular block of explosive cased in resin reinforced fabric. The top of the mine has three fuze wells which each take a UTMA-3 fuze, and a fourth...
(Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, no metal) and the anti-personnel mines PRB M-409 (Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, less than 1g) and the PMA-2
PMA-2 mine
The PMA-2 is a Yugoslavian blast antipersonnel mine. Sometimes referred to as the 'Pašteta', due to its superficial resemblance to a meat-pâté tin. The mine is constructed from dark green plastic, with a distinctive plunger which has six petals radiating from it.- Overview :The mine is armed by...
or PMA-3
PMA-3 mine
The PMA-3 is a Yugoslavian blast resistant minimum metal anti-personnel mine. It is circular, consisting of a plastic upper and lower half joined together by a rubber cover. A safety collar is normally wrapped around the outside of the mine, preventing the upper half of the mine tilting when in...
Serbia, (approx 1g non-magnetic) and VS-50
VS-50 mine
The VS-50 is a circular plastic cased anti-personnel blast mine, formerly manufactured by the now-defunct Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA, an Italian high-tech defense industry specialized in area denial systems which was also the manufacturer of the Valmara 69 and one of the first industries in the...
(Italy). Since the 1970s and until 1993 (when the country enacted a national landmines manufacturing ban, four years before signing the Ottawa Treaty
Ottawa Treaty
The Ottawa Treaty or the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, officially known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, aims at eliminating anti-personnel landmines around the world. , there were 158...
) Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
became a world leader in the manufacture of minimum metal mines; the three main Italian landmine manufacturers were mostly producing minimum-metal by the early 1980s. Valsella Meccanotecnica
Valsella Meccanotecnica
Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA was one of Italy's largest manufacturers of mines. The Company's headquarters initially were in Montichiari and with two production plants in Castenedolo near Brescia, Italy....
SpA manufactured the VS-50
VS-50 mine
The VS-50 is a circular plastic cased anti-personnel blast mine, formerly manufactured by the now-defunct Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA, an Italian high-tech defense industry specialized in area denial systems which was also the manufacturer of the Valmara 69 and one of the first industries in the...
and VS-Mk2
VS-MK2 mine
The VS-MK-2 is a plastic bodied scatterable anti-personnel blast mine formerly manufactured by the now-defunct Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA, an Italian high-tech defense industry specialized in area denial systems . The mine is extremely difficult to detect because of its low metal content...
. Misar SpA produced the SB-81
SB-81 mine
The SB-81 is an Italian plastic cased minimum metal anti-tank blast mine. The mine uses an air pressure based fuze, which gives it protection against overpressure and blast. It can therefore be regarded as a blast resistant mine. The mine can be scattered by hand or by mine laying systems.The mine...
and SB-33
SB-33 mine
The SB-33 is a small Italian minimum metal blast type anti-personnel mine formerly manufactured by Misar, that entered service in 1977. The SB-33 can be emplaced by hand or scattered using the helicopter mounted SY-AT system....
, and Tecnovar Italiana SpA produced the TS-50
TS-50 mine
The TS-50 is a small circular Italian blast resistant minimum metal anti-personnel mine. The mine has a ribbed plastic case which is olive green, brown or sand colored. The mine has a central raised pressure pad on the top surface of the mine, which can operate even with the mine upside down....
), and the TC/3.6 and TC/6 mines
TC/3.6 and TC/6 mines
The TC/3.6 and TC/6 are round minimum metal Italian anti-tank blast mines. Both mines use the same fuzing system. They have round deep ribbed plastic cases that are either sand colored or olive green. The fuze works on an air pressure system, with the top pressure plate forcing air through a small...
).
Non-metallic mines
Though rare, a few land mine designs contain no metal whatsoever. Typically, such designs employ a glass vialVial
A vial is a relatively small glass vessel or bottle, especially used to store medication as liquids, powders or in other forms like capsules. They can also be sample vessels; e.g., for use in autosampler devices in analytical chromatography.The glass can be colourless or coloured, clear or amber...
containing a mixture of friction-sensitive pyrotechnic composition and glass powder. Downward pressure concentrated on the vial crushes and fractures it, causing a flash of flame which triggers the detonator
Detonator
A detonator is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the latter two being the most common....
and initiates the main explosive charge. By definition, such mines cannot be found using metal detectors because there is no metal to detect.
See also
- Anti-handling deviceAnti-handling deviceAn anti-handling device is an attachment to or integral part of a landmine or other munition e.g. some fuze types found in air-dropped bombs such as the M83, cluster bombs and sea mines. It is specifically designed to prevent tampering. When the protected device is disturbed it detonates, killing...
- Blast resistant mineBlast resistant mineA Blast resistant mine is a landmine with a fuze which is designed to be insensitive to the shock wave from a nearby explosion. This feature makes it difficult or impossible to clear such mines using explosive minefield breaching techniques. As a result, the process of clearing minefields is...
- List of landmines (provides extensive details of various designs)