PFM-1 is a land mine

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....

 of Soviet production, very similar to BLU-43

BLU-43

BLU-43/B and BLU-44/B Dragontooth were air dropped land mines used by the United States during the Vietnam War. It is chemically activated and has a relatively low explosive content, typically maiming rather than killing.-Overview:...

 US Army landmine. Both devices are very similar in shape and principles, although they use different explosive.

Action

The mine is, in essence, a plastic bag containing explosive liquid. The mine is stored with a pin restraining a detonating plunger. Once the arming pin is removed, the plunger is slowly forced by a spring forward until it contacts the detonator, at which point it is armed. This takes between one and forty minutes allowing the mine to be deployed or air dropped.

Deformation of the soft plastic skin of the mine forces the arming plunger to strike the detonator, detonating the mine. Because the body of the mine is a single cumulative pressure primer, it is extremely dangerous to handle the mine: A single press of 5 kg or more will make it go off. The charge is usually nonlethal, although sufficient for traumatic amputation of the foot. A variant of the mine, PFM-1S, self-destroys after one to forty hours, with 85% of the mines destroyed by 80 hours.

The mine can be deployed both from helicopters and by infantry. In the latter variant, a number of mines is spread over a circle with a diameter of ~15 meters.

Once the mine is armed it cannot be disarmed.

Military use

PFM-1 was mainly used during the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan to prevent groups of Mujahadeen from using certain roads, despite its toy

Toy

A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...

-like appearance. Unfortunately, civilians often fell prey to it. One of the results of its military application was a high number of casualties among children. Due to its unusual shape, the mine was often mistaken for a toy by children. As the mine exploded, it often resulted in hand and head trauma, which was frequently lethal. This characteristic made this particular type of land mine a principal target for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines

International Campaign to Ban Landmines

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of non-governmental organizations working for a world free of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions, where mine and cluster munitions survivors see their rights respected and can lead fulfilling lives.The coalition was formed in...

. Due in part to anti-Soviet sentiment and the high casualties among children because of this mine, there are widespread rumors in Afghanistan that the mine was deliberately designed to attract children; in reality, the mine's shape was dictated by aerodynamics.

People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 have not signed 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...

, allowing them to retain this type of landmine in their arsenal.

Specifications

• Weight: 75 g
• Filling: 37 g of VS6-D or VS-60D liquid explosive
• Fuze: MVDM/VGM-572
• Length: 120 mm
• Width: 20 mm
• Height: 61 mm
• Operating pressure: 5-25 kg

See also

• 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...
  
  
• 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...
  
  
• Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation
  Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation
  Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation is the chief organisation in the awareness and removal of mines in Afghanistan...
  
  

External links

• http://www.one-step-beyond.de/en/countries/afghanistan/mines/afghanistan_mine_pfm-1.html