Blast resistant mine

A Blast resistant mine is a landmine with a fuze designed to not be triggered by the shockwave from an explosion, making it difficult or impossible to be cleared using explosive minefield breaching techniques. This can be achieved in a number of ways.

Pressure blast resistant fuzes

In pressure fuzed landmines this is achieved by having the fuze react differently based on the length of the impulse. For example a number of Italian landmines like the VS-1.6 use an air system, where air is forced through a small hole into an air bladder, the inflation of which rotates a locking collar and releases the striker into the detonator. Sudden impulse from impact or explosion does not have the time to inflate the bladder and rotate the locking collar, whereas steady pressure from a vehicle's wheel or track does.

A second technique involves the use of tilt or pull, rather than downward pressure to trigger the mine. An example of a mine using this technique is the Valmara 69.

A third technique involves the use of a pressure plate with a small surface area yet broad ground coverage like the M1 mine. This is less effective than the first two techniques, but much simpler to implement.

Non-pressure blast resistant fuzes

The use of electronic fuzes allows mines to intelligently ignore blast shockwaves, by either being designed to ignore the characteristics of a blast shockwave or by using the characteristic magnetic field of the target to detonate the mine. Additionally seismic fuzes can be used to detonate mines, based on the characteristic sounds of foot steps or vehicles.

ee also

* Minimum metal mine
* Anti-handling device