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PFM-1 mine

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A PFM-1 training mine, distinguishable from the live version by the presence of the Cyrillic letter У (short for учебный, uchebnyy, "for training").
PFM-1 schematic

PFM-1 (Template:Lang-ru) is a scatterable high explosive anti-personnel land mine of Soviet and Russian production.[1] It is also known as a Green Parrot or Butterfly Mine.[1] The mines can be deployed from mortars, helicopters and aeroplanes in large numbers; they glide to the ground without exploding and will explode later upon contact.


Design

The mine consists of a polythene plastic container containing 40g of explosive liquid.[1] The two wings of the PFM-1 allow it to glide after being released in the air, then spin, stabilising it and slowing its descent.[2][1] The thick wing contains the liquid explosive.[2] The two wings together are 120 mm (about 5 inches) long.[3] The plastic body can be moulded in a variety of colours for best camouflage. As existing stocks were in European green rather than sand coloured, the first examples used in 1980s Afghanistan were green and easily visible. This led to their name 'green parrots'.[2]

The shape and bright colour is attractive to children, inspiring claims that they were deliberately designed to look like a toy.[4][5] This was denied by the Soviets and, while the mines did endanger children, there is no evidence to suggest they were designed to look appealing.[6]

The mine comes in two variants: PFM-1 and PFM-1S. The only difference between the two variants is that the PFM-1S comes with a self-liquidation mechanism, which activates within 1 to 40 hours, depending on the weather conditions. The mines cannot be laid manually and must be laid only using minelaying systems, such as remote mining machine UMZ, portable mining kit - PKM (mortar), and those present on MLRS, helicopters (VSM-1 mine system) or airplanes.[1][6] The remote minelaying systems can only use cluster munition containing PFM-1 mines. The cassettes that contain the PFM-1 mines are KSF-1 (72 PFM-1), KSF-1S (64 PFM-1S) or KSF-1S-0.5 (36 PFM-1 and 36 PFM-1S).[7][8]

Because the mine is so light, it can be carried in waterways and move downstream after heavy rains or melting snow. The PFM-1 mines are notorious for attaining good camouflage in the conditions of dense foliage, snow or sand.[1]

Action

The mine is stored with a pin restraining a detonating plunger. Once the arming pin is removed, the plunger is slowly forced forward by a spring until it contacts the detonator, at which point it is armed.[9]

Deformation of the soft plastic skin of the mine forces the arming plunger to strike the detonator, detonating the mine.[9] Because the body of the mine is a single cumulative pressure primer, it is extremely dangerous to handle the mine: The Imperial War Museum states that "A pressure in excess of 5kg would activate the mine".[1] Holding it between the thumb and forefinger may be enough to make it explode.[6] The charge is usually nonlethal, although sufficient to maim.[6]

Destruction

The PFM-1(S) mines can be destroyed by mechanical or explosive means; they cannot be disarmed. The mines are generally moved using a scoop that is at least 3 meters long, and has soft materials used in its construction (for example, plastic). The operator should ideally wear personal protection, such as a protective screen, gloves and face covering that has at least 8-10mm of PMMA.[7] If the mines are to be destroyed mechanically, then they should be driven on by the tracks of an armoured vehicle, or impacted with a load weighing at least 60 kg. Otherwise, the technician must place 0.2 kg of explosive with an electric detonator using a scoop at least 4–5m long.[7] The requirement to use soft materials for the scoop comes from secondary fragments that may be generated as a result of the mine exploding: if the scoop has metallic materials, or if the mine is placed on solid materials, such as asphalt, it could generate secondary fragmentation and potentially wound the defuser, or people around them. The mines are always to be approached with caution as it is sometimes impossible to tell the PFM-1 mine version and the mine's self-destruction mechanism may actuate.

Compliance with the Ottawa Convention

In 2017, the government of Belarus announced that it had destroyed its stockpiles of PFM-1 mines.[10] The last 78 PFM-1 mines held by Belarus were destroyed as the highlight of the closing ceremony marking the elimination of their landmine stock.[10]

Ukraine stated that its stockpile of PFM-1 mines in 1999 was 6,000,000 units.[11] In a November 2008 presentation, Ukraine indicated that it had destroyed 101,088 PFM-1 mines per the convention in 1999. Following the agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and NSPA (formerly known as NAMSO) on 1st September 2012, a three-way agreement between Ukraine, NSPA the EU was signed, which figurated that the EU would provide 3.689 million euros for the destruction of 3.3 million mines.[11][12] In 2013, the NSPA provided assistance in destruction of 300,000 mines.[11] In 2014, Ukraine submitted a document to the Mine Ban Treaty Third Review Conference, stating that it has destroyed 568,248 mines since the ratification, with an additional 576 mines in 2014, leaving its stockpile at 5,434,672 mines.[13] After failing to adhere to the Ottawa treaty deadline of November 2018 on the destruction of its anti-personnel mines, Ukraine requested the deadline be extended til 1 June 2021, later asking for further extension on 8 June 2020.[14][15] The effort for the destruction has sizzled out towards 2019 and 2020, with only 67,236 destroyed in 2019. In 2020, Ukraine refused to destroy any PFM-1 mines. In 2021, Ukraine's PFM-1 stockpile is reported at 3,363,828 mines, with no further submissions of their destruction.[16][17]

Military use in Afghanistan and Ukraine

Russian "butterfly" mines, OMAR Mine Museum, 2008

PFM-1 was used during the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, allegedly resulting in a high number of casualties among children from being mistaken for a toy due to its shape and coloring.[18] As the mine is made of plastic, it is intended not to kill but to maim.[6]

The PFM-1 mines were deployed by Ukrainian forces in Mariupol,[19] Kharkiv,[20] Donetsk and Kramatorsk[21] during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United States government would later approve a $89 million spending bill supporting landmine removal assistance using contractors to train and equip the Ukrainian government rather than giving the money to the Ukrainian government directly.[22]

Similar weapons

The PFM-1 is very similar to the BLU-43 landmine used by the US Army in Operation Igloo White in Laos during the Vietnam War.[23][3] According to a U.S. military document, the Soviet military created PFM-1 after reverse-engineering BLU-43.[8]

Specifications (PFM-1S)

  • Dimensions:[7] 119x64x20 mm
  • Activation pressure:[9][7] 5.1–25.5 kgf (50–250 N) of VS-6D liquid explosive
  • Weight:[9][7]
    • Mine: 0.08 kg (2.8 oz)
    • Charge: 0.04 kg (1.4 oz)
    • KSF-1 cassette: 9.2 kg (20 lb)
  • Shelf life:[9][7] 10 years
  • Temperature range of use[7]: -40 to +50 °С
  • Fuse: MVDM/VGM-572
  • Self-liquidation timeframe:[9] 1-40 hours

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "PFM 1 anti-personnel mine ("Green Parrot") (British drill/training example)". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  2. ^ a b c McGrath, Rae (1998). Landmines: Legacy of Conflict: A Manual for Development Workers. pp. 39–40. ISBN 0-7881-3280-6.
  3. ^ a b Hambling, David (2022-03-10). "Russia Accused Of Using Air-Dropped Butterfly Mines To Block Ukrainian Evacuation Route". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  4. ^ Braithwaite, Rodric (2011). Afgantsy : the Russians in Afghanistan, 1979-89. Oxford University Press. pp. 234–235. ISBN 9780199832668.
  5. ^ "Soviet Toys of Death". The New York Times. 10 December 1985. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e Cauderay, Gérald C. (1993). "Anti-Personnel Mines" (PDF). International Review of the Red Cross. 33 (295): 273–287. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Инженерные Боеприпасы. Руководство по материальной части и применению (in Russian) (5th ed.). г. Москва: Военное издательство министерства обороны СССР. 1987. pp. 4–8.
  8. ^ a b "INSTANT OBSTACLES: RUSSIAN REMOTELY DELIVERED MINES" (PDF). January 1996.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "PFM Design" (PDF). apminebanconvention.org.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ a b "The Republic of Belarus has fully fulfilled its international obligations under the 2003 Ottawa Convention". 2017-04-05. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  11. ^ a b c "Commission Implementing Decision on the Annual Action Programme 2013 in favour of Ukraine" (PDF). 2013. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
  12. ^ Yu, Yakymenko (2021). UKRAINE: 30 YEARS ON THE EUROPEAN PATH. «Zapovit» Publishing House. p. 336. ISBN 978-966-2050-27-1.
  13. ^ "Mine Ban Treaty Third Review Conference, Maputo, Mozambique" (PDF). 18 June 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "Decisions on the request submitted by Ukraine for an extension of the deadline for completing the destruction of anti-personnel mines in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention" (PDF). AP Mine Ban Convention. 28 November 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  15. ^ "REQUEST FOR AN EXTENTION OF THE DEADLINE FOR COMPLETING THE DESTRUCTION OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 5 OF THE CONVENTION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY" (PDF). AP Mine Ban Convention. 8 June 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction" (PDF). AP Mine Ban Convention. 1 April 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  17. ^ "КОНВЕЦИЯ О ЗАПРЕЩЕНИИ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ, НАКОПЛЕНИЯ ЗАПАСОВ, ПРОИЗВОДСТВА И ПЕРЕДАЧИ ПРОТИВОПЕХОТНЫХ МИН И ОБ ИХ УНИЧТОЖЕНИИ" (PDF). AP Mine Ban Convention. 1 April 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  18. ^ Tanner, Stephen. "Afghanistan: A Military History".
  19. ^ Hambling, David. "Russia Accused Of Using Air-Dropped Butterfly Mines To Block Ukrainian Evacuation Route (Update: New Video Confirmation)". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  20. ^ "In Kharkiv region, the Russian invaders are using internationally-banned butterfly mines".
  21. ^ "Russia likely using "indiscriminate" mines that kids mistake for toys: U.K." Newsweek. 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  22. ^ Knox, Brady (19 August 2022). "US approves $89 million to help Ukraine clear land mines". Washington Examiner.
  23. ^ Hsu, Jeremy (2018-12-28). "Drones Used to Find Toylike "Butterfly" Land Mines". Scientific American.
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