Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!pacbell!att!cbnews!military From: scameron@blake.acs.washington.edu (Scott Cameron) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Scatterable Minefields Summary: A few other methods Message-ID: <14200@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 21 Feb 90 02:31:20 GMT References: <14060@cbnews.ATT.COM> <14123@cbnews.ATT.COM> Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Organization: Univ of Washington, Seattle Lines: 70 Approved: military@att.att.com From: scameron@blake.acs.washington.edu (Scott Cameron) There's really nothing special about most "scatterable" minefields once the mines are on the ground. Friendly (US/NATO) scatterable fields can be AntiTank, AntiPersonnel, or a combination. I believe our AT mines are pressure activated and our APs can be set off by pressure or tripwires. There are three known types of Soviet scatterable mines. Their scatterable AP mine -- the PFM-1 -- is a liquid-filled, butterfly-shaped plastic container. The one's I've seen -- brought back from Afghanistan -- are green, but I'm told they are also made in tan and white. It's pressure detonated and I suppose they could mix some chemical agent in with the liquid explosive if they so desired. The Soviet scatterable AP mine is called the PGMDM. It is emplaced by helo or aircraft. Plastic casing, about 4 lbs of explosive, pressure fused, probably can break tank tracks but not much more. The Soviets also have the ability to surface-lay minefields from their MI-8 helicopters. Chutes attach to each door down which armed AT mines are slid. This allows them to emplace antitank row minefields with great accuracy very quickly. Finally, they're rumored to have a scatterable mine capability with their Multiple Rocket Launcher. Scatterable minefields can be cleared using any of the methods used to clear any other enemy minefield. [All scatterable minefields are enemy minefields to an engineer, since the mine locations are random!] Bangalore torpedoes, mine plows and rollers, men with grapnels and explosives, sweeping with machineguns -- are all methods non-engineer units can use to breach scatter- able minefields. Combat engineers also have access to the Mine Clearing Linear Charge (MICLIC) (pronounced "mick-lick") -- a string of C-4 charges that is shot across the field behind a converted Navy rocket and detonated. A few well-placed rounds from a Combat Engineer Vehicle (M60A1 tank with the main gun replaced by a 165mm demolition gun, plus winching boom and moldboard plow) will also do the trick. Additional high-tech systems like remote controlled breaching tanks are on the drawing boards, but who knows what their fate will be now that the Soviets have decided that they really don't want to rule the world after all. ;-) Soviet breaching equipment is similar to ours. They field three different plow-roller systems -- the KMT-4, KMT-5, and KMT-6. The KMT-4 clears mines from in front of the vehicle's tracks, (as does the -6, but to a greater depth), and the -5 adds a roller arrangement to take out tilt-rod mines as well. They also have bangalore torpedoes (designated the UZ-2), and an explosive line charge, the BDT, which can be assembled up to 500 meters in length. The Red equivalent of the MICLIC are the UR-67 & M1979. The UR-67 is a converted BTR-50, and fires a modified AT-2 missile pulling a 170-meter explosive-filled hose. The M1979 is the same system mounted on a 2S1 SP howitzer chassis instead of on a BTR. --------------- On a completely unrelated note -- can someone tell me how to send email to the USMA -- specifically to usma3? The path on the email message to which I am attempting to reply keeps getting bounced!. [mod.note: I've had the same problem with usma3 myself. - Bill ] -- S.D. Cameron | "...the right of the PEOPLE to keep and bear | AOPA | 50 yrs Univ. of Wash. | arms shall not be infringed." -- U.S. Const. | -+- Seattle WA | "I know I promised, but ... " -- Geo. Bush | _____(*)_____ scameron@toby.acs.washington.edu | My opinions, not theirs | WingNut