Re: Anti-armor mines!

You wrote: 

>John, could you tell me how many types of present day mines are set 
off by >magnetic fields, and exactly how common that type of mine is? I 
was under >the impression that they were very rare, but really have no 
idea. The mine >awarness specalists(Engineers) tell/and demonstrate to 
our students how to >prod with bayonents, and also have special metal 
tipped mine probbing devices.

They are rare, and primarily Italian in manufacture.  However, the 
Italians sell mines on a cash-and-carry basis and aren't picky about 
end-user certification.  But frankly, even one is enough to ruin MY 
day.  There's also the TM-62M anti-tank mine, which is described in FM 
20-32 as "The magnetic and seismic fuze have inherent anti-disturbance 
features".  That's enough to indicate to me that this is Bad Juju.

Besides, give it 200 years in the future, and this stuff will be as 
common as pressure-detonated.

John