The MAPED F1 is a claymore-shaped plastic-bodied directional

anti-personnel mine Anti-personnel mines are a form of mine designed for use against humans, as opposed to anti-tank mines, which are designed for use against vehicles. Anti-personnel mines may be classified into blast mines or fragmentation mines; the latter may ...

which is designed to wound or kill by fragmentation. It has been the standard directional anti-personnel mine of the

French army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

since the late 1970s. The MAPED F1 body is flat on the back and convex on the front, it has a small aiming sight on the top left corner and plastic lugs in the bottom corners for attaching a pair of "A" frame support legs. The mine contains a

plastic explosive Plastic explosive is a soft and hand-moldable solid form of explosive material. Within the field of explosives engineering, plastic explosives are also known as putty explosives or blastics. Plastic explosives are especially suited for explo ...

charge to propel 500 steel ball fragments to a range of 50 meters in a 60° arc. The MAPED F1 is battery powered and is normally actuated by breakwire, but

tripwire A tripwire is a passive triggering mechanism. Typically, a wire or cord is attached to a device for detecting or reacting to physical movement. Military applications Such tripwires may be attached to one or more mines – especially fragm ...

and command actuation are also possible. The MAPED F1 is surface mounted and it can be located visually or with

metal detector A metal detector is an instrument that detects the nearby presence of metal. Metal detectors are useful for finding metal objects on the surface, underground, and under water. The unit itself, consist of a control box, and an adjustable shaft, ...

s under most field conditions. The MAPED F1 can be defeated by blast overpressure from explosive breaching systems like the Giant Viper and

MICLIC A mine-clearing line charge (abbreviated MCLC or MICLIC and pronounced or "''mick-lick''") is used to create a breach in minefields under combat conditions. While there are many types, the basic design is for many explosive charges connected on ...

unless it is set up for command actuation.

Mine operation

The MAPED F1 uses a very complex electric firing system. It is basically actuated by a contact wire. The battery pack and firing cable are attached to an electric detonator which is inserted in the mine and a spool of contact wire is rolled out. Any contact with the wire after the MAPED F1 is armed will break the fibre, which collapses an electrical circuit and triggers the mine.

Hazards

The MAPED F1 is surface mounted. On detonation the mine will normally propel lethal fragmentation to a range between 40 and 60 meters. The actual hazard range for these types of mines can be as high as 300 metres based on

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

tests of the M18A1 "Claymore" (this is directly in front of the mine; fragmentation range and density drop off to 125 meters to the sides and rear of these mines).

External links

Globalsecurity.org
Anti-personnel mines Land mines of France {{Landmine-stub