Re: Anti-armor mines!

You wrote: 

>Now, the issue (as usual) is when your infantry has to cross a 
>minefield but no engineers with cool kit like this are around... then 
>we're back to the same old 'poke in the sand' methods used for time 
>immemorial..... and some mines will detonate when poked. 

This is why we still emphasis proper probing technique, and likely will 
into the next century or two.  Just please do yourself a favor and 
don't use a bayonet.  I doubt a little pressure with a wooden or 
fiberglass probe will set most mines off--doing it right, mines would 
have to be too sensitive to be practical.  You get into problems with 
mines that sense off of body heat or seismic indicators (footsteps).   

But I'd lay loooong odds that there will be enough decent sensors in 
any proper minefields that Engineer will be necessary.	After the first 
couple infantrymen buy it--I've seen Infantry moving such that the 
entire platoon is within the danger radius of an M-16A1.  All it takes 
is one oops.

John M. Atkinson