The HPD-1, HPD-2 and HPD-3 are a series of French electrically fuzed

anti-tank landmine An anti-tank mine (abbreviated to "AT mine") is a type of land mine designed to damage or destroy vehicles including tanks and armored fighting vehicles. Compared to anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines typically have a much larger explosive ch ...

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TDA Armements TDA Armements Société par actions simplifiée, SAS was a French defence company, that made widely deployed Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground rockets (sub-metric precision rocket), and now a division of Thales Group. History Its Rocket (weap ...

that use Misnay–Schardin effect warheads. The entire series of mines conform to the United States MIL-STD-331.

HPD-1

The HPD-1 consists of a large case with a prominent circular section at one end that contains the clearing charge and Misnay–Schardin effect warhead, and a rectangular section that contains the batteries and seismic and magnetic sensors that the electronic fuze uses. It was developed to be laid automatically from the Matenin minelayer or by hand. When the seismic sensor detects a suitable target, the magnetic sensor is then activated and when a vehicle with a mass of more than eight tons passes over the mine, the magnetic sensor triggers the mine’s warhead. First the mine detonates a clearing charge, which removes any earth that may have been laid over the mine, then it triggers the Misnay–Schardin effect charge, which projects a slug of metal upwards. In testing, the mine penetrated up to 100 millimeters of armour, although it can officially penetrate only 70 millimeters.

HPD-2

The HPD-2 is a development of the HPD-1 mine. It incorporates a series of enhancements to both the warhead and fuzing mechanism. The mine's warhead is said to be a "second generation" Misnay–Schardin effect design capable of penetrating up to 150 millimeters of armour. In addition it can be laid in up to one and half meters of water. The mine arms itself after an initial delay of ten minutes and self-neutralizes after 30 days. It also incorporates an anti-handling device, which is sensitive to motion and the signals produced by

mine detectors Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing land mines from an area. In military operations, the object is to rapidly clear a path through a minefield, and this is often done with devices such as mine plows and blast waves. By contra ...

. As of 2006, approximately 400,000 HPD-2 series mines have been ordered. The mine is in service with the French Army, and is sold to the Belgian and Norwegian armed forces. It is in licence production in Switzerland for the Swiss Army as ''Panzerabwehrmine 88'' (Pzaw Mi 88).

HPD-3

The HPD-3 is a further development of the HPD-2 featuring a programmable fuze. It has a three pin interface for a programming device. It can be set for an active period of either 30 days after which it self-neutralizes or for a shorter active period of between four and ninety six hours after which it self-destructs.

Service history

The HDP-2A2 mine has been supplied to Ukraine. On 7 November, Russian State Duma Deputy

Alexander Borodai Alexander Yurevich Borodai ( rus, Алекса́ндр Ю́рьевич Борода́й, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr ˈjʉrʲjɪvʲɪdʑ bərɐˈdaj; uk, Олександр Юрійович Бородай; born July 25, 1972) is a Russian member of the ...

almost died when his car was nearly struck by a French HPD-2A2 in the Kherson region. The security vehicle in front of his was reportedly hit by the land mine, blowing out windows and tyres. Video showed a camouflaged HPD-2A2 which his own vehicle missed by "millimetres".

Specification

Variants

* HPD-1 * HPD-2 * HPD-F2 * HPD-2A * HPD-3 * HPD-3P

References

* ''Jane's Mines and Mine Clearance 2005-2006'' * * * {{ORDATA mines, 1758, HPD-3 Anti-tank mines Land mines of France Military equipment introduced in the 2000s