Ukraine has been looking for ways to more rapidly lay minefields to disrupt Russian mechanized assaults for some time. Militarnyi reported on Tuesday that Ukraine’s defense forces have begun to use modified high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs) to assist in the rapid creation of minefields using PTM-3 anti-tank landmines.
A Ukrainian military engineer Andrii Shyshuk, call sign Sievier was interviewed in June by the Ukrainian Espresso TV channel. In it he said that Ukraine’s armed forces had a pressing need for remote minelaying systems in order to rapidly reinforce its defensive lines against Russian assaults. At the time he said the only way they could remotely lay anti-vehicle mines was by dropping them one by one from aerial drones or using the artillery delivered remote anti-armor mine (RAAM) system.
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The images posted by Militarnyi show two Soviet-era UMZ universal mine layer launchers, each capable of being operated independently to launch a pattern of 30 of the PTM-3 mines out to 60-100 meters (200-330 feet).
The UMZ launcher was designed in the late 1970s, six of which were mounted on modified ZIL-131В trucks to meet the Soviet Ministry of Defenses’ need for a self-propelled, remote area minelayer.
It consists of a hexagonal shaped block in which there are 30 tubes placed in six rows each tube contains electrical contacts used to initiate a propellant charge to eject the mine. The diameter of the tubes is such that it could be used to launch all types of remotely delivered anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mine in the Soviet/Russian inventory.
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The PTM-3 remotely delivered, self-liquidating shaped charge anti-tank mine.
The PTM-3 anti-tank mine that Ukraine is using is a remotely delivered, self-liquidating shaped charge anti-tank mine. The outer case is made up of a notched stamped steel body painted in olive-drab, with black painted markings and an unpainted metal fuse. The notches on the four side as well as the end face allow the mine to produce an explosively shaped charge against the target whatever its orientation.
The mine sits in cassette launcher which contains an expelling charge and is attached by a lanyard fixed to the mine’s arming pin. The mine uses a two-stage arming mechanism – pyrotechnic and mechanical. Once fired, the lanyard, which remains in the launch cassette, pulls on the pin of the mine, and starts the mechanical arming phase.
Once on the ground, a pyrotechnic “moderator” burns for around 60 seconds before allowing the safety systems in the VT-06 fuse to move into the armed position. The fuse is a highly sensitive magnetic influenced mechanism. When a vehicle drives over the mine or is close enough for the fuse to register its presence, the fluctuation in the earth’s magnetic field, triggers the mine. The shaped charges will allow explosive penetration through the underside of the tank or other armored vehicle which is generally one of its more vulnerable points.
If no target has been detected, the mine is deigned to self-destruct 16 to 24 hours after deployment.
As previously reported, the US is providing Ukraine with self-sanitizing anti-personnel landmines, some of which will also be remotely delivered. Used in combination the with the PTM-3 this will allow Ukrainian forces to rapidly lay minefields where they are immediately required to bolster the defense against a Russian assault.
The video below shows PTM-3’s being deployed by a ZIL-131В truck fitted with UMZ universal minelayer.
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