The MPB is a Polish off-route

anti-tank mine 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 c ...

. It was developed by

BELMA BELMA is a Polish defence company located in Białe Błota, in the vicinity of Bydgoszcz. It is one of the oldest industrial plants in Poland. Belma’s business began in 1868 as a locksmith company. Its primary responsibility today is the p ...

(BZE BELMA S.A.) with its partner

Military Institute of Engineer Technology A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. The MPB consists of a metal cylinder filled with explosives, mounted horizontally in an adjustable frame. The mine is intended to be hidden from direct view of the intended target, off to the side of a probable vehicle route, usually a road, to attack the weaker armour on the sides and rear of a vehicle. The mine can be triggered by either a contact

fuze In military munitions, a fuze (sometimes fuse) is the part of the device that initiates function. In some applications, such as torpedoes, a fuze may be identified by function as the exploder. The relative complexity of even the earliest fuze d ...

(MPB-ZK variant) or an

influence fuze Influence or influencer may refer to: *Social influence, in social psychology, influence in interpersonal relationships **Minority influence, when the minority affect the behavior or beliefs of the majority *Influencer marketing, through individu ...

(MPB-ZN variant) based on

infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...

and acoustic sensors, and is also fitted with an

anti-handling device An anti-handling device is an attachment to or an integral part of a landmine or other munition such as some fuze types found in general-purpose air-dropped bombs, cluster bombs and sea mines. It is designed to prevent tampering or disabling, ...

. When used with the passive infrared fuze, an acoustic sensor detects approaching vehicles and activates the infrared sensor, which triggers the mine at an optimal moment as the target passes. The mine can be programmed to self-destruct after either 1, 10 or 30 days have passed. The mine uses the

Misznay–Schardin effect The Misznay–Schardin effect, or platter effect, is a characteristic of the detonation of a broad sheet of explosive. Description Explosive blasts expand directly away from, and perpendicular to, the surface of an explosive. Unlike the blast ...

to project an

explosively formed projectile An explosively formed penetrator (EFP), also known as an explosively formed projectile (EFP), a self-forging warhead, or a self-forging fragment, is the product of a shaped charge designed to penetrate armor effectively. As the name suggests, the ...

to an effective range of roughly 50 meters, where it can penetrate up to 100 millimeters of

rolled homogeneous armour Rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) is a type of vehicle armour made of a single steel composition hot-rolled to improve its material characteristics, as opposed to layered or cemented armour. Its first common application was in tanks. After World ...

(RHA) plate. The energy carried by the projectile is large enough that it can often significantly damage a vehicle that it hits.

Specifications

* Length: 450 mm * Width: 390 mm * Height: 700 mm * Weight: 45 kg

References

* ''Jane's Mines and Mine Clearance 2005-2006''

External links

* BELMA

* WITI

Anti-tank mines Land mines of Poland {{Landmine-stub

Specifications

See also

References

External links