BLU-43 Dragontooth

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

Overview

The Dragontooth was designed during the Vietnam War as part of a number of programs design to prevent infiltration into South Vietnam. Dragontooth was one of a number of airborne land mines tested, being popular because they could be used to deny access to large areas to foot traffic. Its area denial qualities were exemplified in the fact that the explosive content of any individual mine was readily capable of killing the victim, being powerful enough to remove a person's foot, but potentially incapable of even flattening the tire of a truck passing over it. [United States, 1971. p. 138]

The use of Dragontooth mines in Vietnam went largely unnoticed, likely as a product of its essentially classified usage primarily in Laos as part of Operation Igloo White. Production of the system had ceased by 1970, and it was predicted that existing stocks would be exhausted by the end of 1971. [United States, 1971. p. 138]

In stark contrast to the lack of public commentary on the Dragontooth system, the subsequent Soviet analogue, the PFM-1, spurred a lot of controversy after being used in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, being a key element leading to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.Fact|date=March 2008

Design

The mine itself is made out of plastic, and is hydraulically activated and contact/pressure detonated. The color of the plastic varied and could be olive drab, tan, brown of camouflaged, and had no painted or molded markings. Each mine contained a small amount of liquid nitromethane/nitroethane explosive and was designed with a shape that would cause it to spiral down to the ground removing the need for a parachute. A chemical self-neutralization system was used in the mines. It rendered the main explosive content inert after a period of time after activation. The two major variants, the BLU-43/B and BLU-44/B, differ only in the process by which they were thusly "sterilized." [Parsch, Andreas. "Designation-Systems.net". 4 February 2008. [http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/asetds/u-b.html#_BLU BAK to BSU/BSG - Equipment Listing] . Access Date: 27 March 2008; "ORDATA Online". [http://ordatamines.maic.jmu.edu/displaydata.aspx?OrDataId=263 U.S. MINE UNIT, APERS, BLU-43/B, -44/B, & -44A/B; MINE UNIT, TRAINING, BLU-43(T-1)/B & -43(T-2)/B] . Access Date: 27 March 2008] However the reliability of the mechanism was largely unknown, and the detonator and booster charge could still present a hazard.Fact|date=March 2008

The complete Dragontooth system involved the loading of either the BLU-43/B or BLU-44/B (or its variant BLU-44A/B) into complete cluster munitions. 120 BLU-43/B fit into a single CDU-2/B cluster adapter, forty of which were then loaded into a SUU-13/A cluster dispenser to form the complete CBU-28/A cluster munition. An identical number of BLU-44/B mines loaded into an identical number of CDU-3/B adapters fitted to the SUU-13/A dispenser formed the complete CBU-37/A. [Parsch, Andreas. "Designation-Systems.net". 4 February 2008. [http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/asetds/u-b.html#_BLU BAK to BSU/BSG - Equipment Listing] . Access Date: 27 March 2008] The SUU-13/A was a cluster dispenser that remained attached to the aircraft, dispensing cluster adapters of mines as the aircraft flew forward, unlike cluster bombs, which are released from an aircraft and then dispenser their submunitions.

pecifications

"Data from ?Fact|date=March 2008"
* Weight: 20 g
* Length: 75 mm
* Width: 45 mm (when armed)
* Depth: 45 mm
* Explosive content: 9 g of a mixture Nitromethane/Nitroethane
* Sensitizer: Propylenediamene/Methanol

ee also

* Gravel mines, small US made fabric wrapped mines used in Vietnam.

References

Citations

ources

* United States Government, United States Senate. "Hearings Before the Electronic Battlefield Subcomittee of the Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee of the Committee on Armed Services." Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1971.
* Jane's Mines and Mine Clearance 2005-2006