The SB-33 is a small Italian minimum metal blast type

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 ...

formerly manufactured by '' Misar'', that entered service in 1977. The SB-33 can be emplaced by hand or scattered using the helicopter mounted SY-AT system. The body of the mine is made of two glass reinforced

polycarbonate Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, tough materials, and some grades are optically transparent. They are easily work ...

halves, with the top surface having a central neoprene pressure pad. The body has an irregular shape to make the mine harder to distinguish on the ground. To arm an SB-33, a small pin is removed from the side of the mine. After the mine has been armed, gradual pressure on the pressure plate (i.e. when the victim steps on it) rotates a locking collar until the striker is released, which flips into a stab-

detonator A detonator, frequently a blasting cap, is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the last two being the most common. The commercial use of explosives uses electri ...

and the mine explodes. However, sudden pressure (e.g. from a mine-clearing charge) causes the striker to lock the rotating collar in position for the duration of the pressure, preventing the mine from detonating. The combination of low metal content and resistance to overpressure make the mine extremely difficult to remove. Another version of the SB-33 called the SB-33AR (AR standing for ''Anti-Rimozione'', "Counter-Removal") exists. It looks identical to the standard SB-33 mine. However, the SB-33AR has an integral

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, o ...

specifically designed to injure deminers. The anti-handling device in an SB-33AR consists of a mercury tilt switch and battery connected to the

. When an SB-33AR is moved a few degrees from the horizontal (i.e. when a deminer lifts it), it

detonate Detonation () is a type of combustion involving a supersonic exothermic front accelerating through a medium that eventually drives a shock front propagating directly in front of it. Detonations propagate supersonically through shock waves with s ...

s, blowing the victim's hand off. Generally, a small number of SB-33AR landmines would be sown inside a minefield containing standard SB-33 mines in order to hinder and deter any attempt to conduct

demining 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 ...

operations. Copies of the mine were produced in several countries and the mine was in service with the Netherlands, Spain, Greece and Argentina. This mine is no longer produced and Italy has destroyed all operational stocks and any associated machinery required for its manufacture. However, uncleared minefields containing SB-33 mines do exist e.g. in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

Kurdistan Kurdistan ( ku, کوردستان ,Kurdistan ; lit. "land of the Kurds") or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, Kurdish la ...

, and the

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Specifications

* Diameter: 85 mm * Height: 30 mm * Operating pressure: 8 kg * Weight: 140 g * Explosive content: 35 g

RDX RDX (abbreviation of "Research Department eXplosive") or hexogen, among other names, is an organic compound with the formula (O2N2CH2)3. It is a white solid without smell or taste, widely used as an explosive. Chemically, it is classified as a ...

/ HMX (98%/2%)

Variants

* EM-20, a Greek copy of the mine. * M/412, a Portuguese copy of the mine. * P-5, a Spanish copy of the mine produced under license. It is no longer in service with Spain, and all but 4,000 of the mines have been destroyed.

References

* ''Brassey's Essential Guide To Anti-Personnel Landmines'', Eddie Banks * ''Jane's Mines and Mine Clearance 2005-2006'' * * * * * Anti-personnel mines Land mines of Italy Military equipment introduced in the 1970s {{Landmine-stub