PRB M3 mine
Encyclopedia
The PRB M3 and PRB M3A1 are plastic cased minimum metal anti-tank blast mine
produced by the Belgian
company Poudreries Réunies de Belgique
in the 1970s and 1980s. The mine is square with a olive drab
body constructed from polythene with a webbing carrying handle carrying handle on the side and an ammonia-free bakelite seating for the pressure plate to be screwed into. The fuze
well is in the centre of the seating, with the pressure plate screwed into it after the fuze has been inserted. The cylindrical pressure plate consists of two plastic plates, one of which moves under the weight of a vehicle driving over the mine to transmit the force to the fuze, shearing pins which hold it in place.
The PRB M3A1 variant has two secondary fuze
wells, and is often deployed with a M30 anti-lift device
. The M30 fuze is detonates the mine if it is lifted more than 3 cm. It is also a minimum metal device, with the only metal components being two spring steel wire strikers and two aluminium percussion caps.
Both versions of the mine are waterproof when new, and can be laid in shallow water, but the mine casing often splits and warps in hot climates, although small splits do not affect the mine's performance. The mines are prone to sympathetic detonation
if laid closer together than 2 m. The mine is found in Angola
, Chad
, Eritrea
, Ethiopia
, Iraq
, Lebanon
, Libya
, Rwanda
, Somalia
, Sudan
, the Western Sahara
, and Zambia
.
In April 2011 it was reported that the rebel forces in the Libyan Civil War 2011 were deploying these mines, in contravention of earlier promises not to use land mines. The Libyan National Transitional Council
subsequently issued a communique promising to stop using anti-personnel and anti-vehicle landmines, and that their forces will be requested to destroy all stocks of landmines.
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....
produced by the Belgian
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...
company Poudreries Réunies de Belgique
Poudreries Réunies de Belgique
Poudreries Réunies de Belgique SA was one of Belgium's oldest and largest manufacturers of munitions and at a time the second largest Belgium armaments manufacturer. The Company indirectly started in 1778 in Wetteren as a powder factory...
in the 1970s and 1980s. The mine is square with a olive drab
body constructed from polythene with a webbing carrying handle carrying handle on the side and an ammonia-free bakelite seating for the pressure plate to be screwed into. The fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
well is in the centre of the seating, with the pressure plate screwed into it after the fuze has been inserted. The cylindrical pressure plate consists of two plastic plates, one of which moves under the weight of a vehicle driving over the mine to transmit the force to the fuze, shearing pins which hold it in place.
The PRB M3A1 variant has two secondary fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
wells, and is often deployed with a M30 anti-lift device
Anti-handling device
An 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...
. The M30 fuze is detonates the mine if it is lifted more than 3 cm. It is also a minimum metal device, with the only metal components being two spring steel wire strikers and two aluminium percussion caps.
Both versions of the mine are waterproof when new, and can be laid in shallow water, but the mine casing often splits and warps in hot climates, although small splits do not affect the mine's performance. The mines are prone to sympathetic detonation
Sympathetic detonation
A sympathetic detonation , also called flash over, is a detonation, usually unintended, of an explosive charge by a nearby explosion. Sympathetic detonation is caused by a shock wave, or impact of primary or secondary blast fragments.The initiating explosive is called donor explosive, the initiated...
if laid closer together than 2 m. The mine is found in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, the Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
, and Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
.
In April 2011 it was reported that the rebel forces in the Libyan Civil War 2011 were deploying these mines, in contravention of earlier promises not to use land mines. The Libyan National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
subsequently issued a communique promising to stop using anti-personnel and anti-vehicle landmines, and that their forces will be requested to destroy all stocks of landmines.
Specifications
- Weight: 6.8 kg
- Explosive content: 6 kg of (70 % TNT, 15 % RDXRDXRDX, an initialism for Research Department Explosive, is an explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. It was developed as an explosive which was more powerful than TNT, and it saw wide use in WWII. RDX is also known as cyclonite, hexogen , and T4...
, 15 % AluminiumAluminiumAluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
) (a mix known as Trialene), with Hexolite booster - Length: 230 mm
- Height: 130 mm
- Width: 230 mm
- Operating pressure: 250 kg