Mined area Indicators – How mines age

Sheet 48      How mines age

Some mines will continue to work as designed many years after they were laid. Even mines that stop working and fall apart remain dangerous. The picture shows how the passage of time affects a few of the common blast mines in Angola .

A - The PMN-2 generally ages well and will continue to function as designed for a long time.

B - The GYATA-64 blast mine does not age as well as the PMN-2.

C - This is a part of the bakelite body of a GYATA-64 mine that has broken apart without detonating.

D - This is a GYATA-64 with its rubber lid removed. Blocks of TNT are visible on either side of the rusted firing mechanism. The rubber top has split and allowed water to enter. GYATA-64 mines are reported to be harder to locate when their mechanism has rusted.

E - These are examples of arming keys from PMN-2 mines. The keys may be discarded when the mine is laid.

F - These are arming pins from GYATA-64 mines. The size of the ring at the end of the pin may vary.

G - This is a 200g block of TNT from a PMD-6 mine complete with detonator and MUV fuze.

H - This is the arming pin and the parts of an MUV-2/3 fuze that drop away when it is armed.

I - This shows the parts of a PMD-6 wooden mine after eighteen years in the ground.  Although the mine could not function as designed, it is still very dangerous.

J - This is the MUV-2 fuze and detonator from the PMD-6 mine.

K - This shows the 200g block of TNT from the PMD-6 mine. The label has weathered but the block of TNT is still in one piece.

L - This shows a new block of Russian TNT as it would have looked when the mine was laid.

M - This is the PMD-6 mine as it would have looked when it was laid. The colour and detail of these mines may vary because it was easy to make copies locally.

N - This is a example of the end of the MUV-2 fuze, its small rubber cap and the cut pieces of lead.

O - This is a loop of wire on which 35 MUV arming pins have been threaded. It is not uncommon for the mines to have been laid and not armed until they are all in place. Then they are all armed and the arming-pins collected and counted. The collected pins may then be thrown aside.

Suggested message(s):

• Some mines age more quickly than others and may not operate reliably after time has passed. This does not make them safer.
• An old or broken mine is NOT a safe mine.
• Arming pins and keys may be discarded when mines are laid.

Mined area
warning signs

Areas without
signs

Informal
warning signs

Roads in
rural areas

Improvised devices
on roads

Surveyor's stick
scene

Fighter plane
scenario

Abandoned
grazing land

Tank
Scene

Washout
Scene

Embankment
Scene

Destroyed
train

Abandoned
building

Transporter
Scene

Angola bush
Scene

Power-line
Scene

Burnt-off
area

Trench
Scene

Angola
bush 2

OZM
Scene

Small
fuzes

How mines
age

Other common
AP mines

Other common
ordnance

Other common
indicators

Ammunition
dump

Mine
injuries

TEACHING
NOTES
*.doc

TEACHING
NOTES
*.pdf