Selectable Lightweight Attack Munition
Encyclopedia
Selectable Lightweight Attack Munition or (M2/M3/M4 SLAM) is a small United States
multi-purpose landmine produced by ATK
Precision Fuze Company in Janesville, Wisconsin
from 1992-2002. It has a passive infrared sensor, and a magnetic influence sensor which allow it to be used as a demolition
munition, off-route mine
or full width belly attack mine.
, parked aircraft, wheeled or tracked vehicle
s, stationary targets (such as electrical transformers), small fuel
-storage tanks (less than 10,000 U.S. gallons), and ammunition
storage facilities. When the mine is triggered, the Monroe effect generates a copper
explosively formed penetrator
(EFP), which can penetrate 40 millimeters of armor at a range of eight meters.
The SLAM has an anti-tamper
feature that is only active in the bottom- and side-attack modes. The SLAM will detonate when an attempt is made to change the selector switch's position after arming.
The SLAM is produced in three versions:
The M4 is normally used by units designated as light, airborne
, air assault
, crisis response, and rapid deployment.
cover is in place.
.
and safing and arming (S&A) assembly.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
multi-purpose landmine produced by ATK
Alliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated...
Precision Fuze Company in Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
from 1992-2002. It has a passive infrared sensor, and a magnetic influence sensor which allow it to be used as a demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
munition, off-route 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....
or full width belly attack mine.
Overview
The SLAM is compact and weighs only 1 kilogram, so it is easily man-portable. The SLAM is intended for use against APCsArmoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
, parked aircraft, wheeled or tracked vehicle
Tracked vehicle
A tracked vehicle is a vehicle that runs on continuous tracks instead of wheels...
s, stationary targets (such as electrical transformers), small fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
-storage tanks (less than 10,000 U.S. gallons), and ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
storage facilities. When the mine is triggered, the Monroe effect generates a copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
explosively formed penetrator
Explosively Formed Penetrator
An explosively formed penetrator , also known as an explosively formed projectile, a self-forging warhead, or a self-forging fragment, is a special type of shaped charge designed to penetrate armour effectively at standoff distances...
(EFP), which can penetrate 40 millimeters of armor at a range of eight meters.
The SLAM has an anti-tamper
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...
feature that is only active in the bottom- and side-attack modes. The SLAM will detonate when an attempt is made to change the selector switch's position after arming.
The SLAM is produced in three versions:
- M2 - Solid green, with no labels, which silently self-neutralizes at the end of its active period (either 4, 10 or 24 hours)
- M3 - Can only be used in the command detonated mode.
- M4 - Green with a black painted warhead face, which self destructs at the end of its active period (either 4, 10 or 24 hours)
The M4 is normally used by units designated as light, airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
, air assault
Air assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces...
, crisis response, and rapid deployment.
Modes of operation
The SLAM has four possible modes of detonation—bottom attack, side attack, timed demolition, and command detonation.Bottom attack
The SLAM has a built-in magnetic influence sensor, that allows it to be used as a full width belly attack munition against vehicles. It can be concealed along trails and roads where target vehicles operate and can be camouflaged with dry leaves, grass, and so forth without affecting EFP performance. Mud, gravel, water, and other debris that fill the EFP cup have minimal impact on EFP formation and effectiveness as long as the debris does not extend beyond the depth of the EFP cup. The magnetic sensor is designed to trigger detonation when it senses a vehicle passing overhead. For the EFP to form properly, it needs a minimum of 13 centimetres (5 in) from the point of emplacement to the target. The bottom-attack mode is active when the selector switch is set to 4, 10, or 24 hours and the passive infrared sensor (PIRS) triggerInfra-red search and track
An infra-red search and track system is a method for detecting and tracking objects which give off infra-red radiation such as jet aircraft and helicopters. IRST is a generalized case of Forward Looking Infra-Red , i.e. from Forward-Looking to allround situational awareness...
cover is in place.
Side attack
The SLAM is equipped with a passive infrared sensor (PIRS) that was specifically developed for the side-attack mode. The PIRS detects trucks and light armored vehicles by sensing the change in background temperature when a vehicle crosses in front of the PIRS port. The PIRS is directional and aligned with the EFP when the device is aimed. The side-attack mode is active when the SLAM selector switch is set to 4, 10, or 24 hours—and the PIRS cover is removed to expose the PIRS. The PIRS is also sensitive enough to be triggered by people, so can also be used as a pursuit deterrent munition or anti-personnel mineAnti-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...
.
Timed demolition
The SLAM's built-in timer will trigger detonation at the end of a selected time. The timed-demolition mode is active when the SLAM selector switch is set to 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes. In this mode, the magnetic sensor and the PIRS are inoperable, and the SLAM will detonate after the selected time has expired.Command detonation
This mode provides manual warhead initiation using standard military blasting caps and a priming adapter. The command-detonation capability bypasses the SLAM's fuseFuse (explosives)
In an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...
and safing and arming (S&A) assembly.
Specifications
- Length: 127 mm (5.2 in)
- Width: 89 mm (3.5 in)
- Depth: 55 mm (2.2 in)
- Explosive content: 0.28 kg (0.6 lb) of LX-14LX-14LX-14 and LX-14-0 are Polymer-bonded explosives developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and used in Nuclear weapons in the United States.- Ingredients :...
- Weight: 1 kg (2.2 lb)