BLU-43
Encyclopedia
BLU-43/B and BLU-44/B Dragontooth were air dropped land mine
s used by the United States during the Vietnam War. It is chemically activated and has a relatively low explosive content, typically maiming rather than killing.
as part of a number of programs design to prevent infiltration into South Vietnam. Dragontooth was one of a number of airborne land mines tested, being popular because they could be used to deny access to large areas to foot traffic. Its area denial qualities were exemplified in the fact that the explosive content of any individual mine was readily capable of killing the victim, being powerful enough to remove a person's foot, but potentially incapable of even flattening the tire of a truck passing over it.
The use of Dragontooth mines in Vietnam went largely unnoticed, likely as a product of its essentially classified usage primarily in Laos as part of Operation Igloo White
. Production of the system had ceased by 1970, and it was predicted that existing stocks would be exhausted by the end of 1971.
In stark contrast to the lack of public commentary on the Dragontooth system, the subsequent Soviet analogue, the PFM-1
, spurred a lot of controversy after being used in Afghanistan
during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, being a key element leading to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
.
The complete Dragontooth system involved the loading of either the BLU-43/B or BLU-44/B (or its variant BLU-44A/B) into complete cluster munitions. A total of 120 BLU-43/B fit into a single CDU-2/B cluster adapter, forty of which were then loaded into a SUU-13/A cluster dispenser to form the complete CBU-28/A cluster munition. An identical number of BLU-44/B mines loaded into an identical number of CDU-3/B adapters fitted to the SUU-13/A dispenser formed the complete CBU-37/A. The SUU-13/A was a cluster dispenser that remained attached to the aircraft, dispensing cluster adapters of mines as the aircraft flew forward, unlike cluster bombs, which are released from an aircraft and then dispense their submunitions.
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s used by the United States during the Vietnam War. It is chemically activated and has a relatively low explosive content, typically maiming rather than killing.
Overview
The Dragontooth was designed during the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
as part of a number of programs design to prevent infiltration into South Vietnam. Dragontooth was one of a number of airborne land mines tested, being popular because they could be used to deny access to large areas to foot traffic. Its area denial qualities were exemplified in the fact that the explosive content of any individual mine was readily capable of killing the victim, being powerful enough to remove a person's foot, but potentially incapable of even flattening the tire of a truck passing over it.
The use of Dragontooth mines in Vietnam went largely unnoticed, likely as a product of its essentially classified usage primarily in Laos as part of Operation Igloo White
Operation Igloo White
Operation Igloo White was a covert United States Air Force electronic warfare operation conducted from late January 1968 until February 1973, during the Vietnam War. This state-of-the-art operation utilized electronic sensors, computers, and communications relay aircraft in an attempt to automate...
. Production of the system had ceased by 1970, and it was predicted that existing stocks would be exhausted by the end of 1971.
In stark contrast to the lack of public commentary on the Dragontooth system, the subsequent Soviet analogue, the PFM-1
PFM-1
PFM-1 is a land mine of Soviet production, very similar to BLU-43 US Army landmine...
, spurred a lot of controversy after being used in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, being a key element leading to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of non-governmental organizations working for a world free of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions, where mine and cluster munitions survivors see their rights respected and can lead fulfilling lives.The coalition was formed in...
.
Design
The mine itself is made out of plastic, and is hydraulically activated and contact/pressure detonated. The color of the plastic varied and could be olive drab, tan, brown, or camouflaged, and had no painted or molded markings. Each mine contained a small amount of liquid nitromethane/nitroethane explosive and was designed with a shape that would cause it to spiral down to the ground, removing the need for a parachute. A chemical self-neutralization system was used in the mines, rendering the main explosive content inert after a period of time after activation. The two major variants, the BLU-43/B and BLU-44/B, differ only in the process by which they were thus "sterilized." However the reliability of the mechanism was largely unknown, and the detonator and booster charge could still present a hazard.The complete Dragontooth system involved the loading of either the BLU-43/B or BLU-44/B (or its variant BLU-44A/B) into complete cluster munitions. A total of 120 BLU-43/B fit into a single CDU-2/B cluster adapter, forty of which were then loaded into a SUU-13/A cluster dispenser to form the complete CBU-28/A cluster munition. An identical number of BLU-44/B mines loaded into an identical number of CDU-3/B adapters fitted to the SUU-13/A dispenser formed the complete CBU-37/A. The SUU-13/A was a cluster dispenser that remained attached to the aircraft, dispensing cluster adapters of mines as the aircraft flew forward, unlike cluster bombs, which are released from an aircraft and then dispense their submunitions.
Specifications
- Weight: 20 g
- Length: 75 mm
- Width: 45 mm (when armed)
- Depth: 45 mm
- Explosive content: 9 g of a mixture nitromethaneNitromethaneNitromethane is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest organic nitro compound. It is a slightly viscous, highly polar liquid commonly used as a solvent in a variety of industrial applications such as in extractions, as a reaction medium, and as a cleaning solvent...
/nitroethaneNitroethaneNitroethane is an organic compound having the chemical formula C2H5NO2. Similar in many regards to nitromethane, nitroethane is an oily liquid at standard temperature and pressure. Pure nitroethane is colourless and has a fruity odor.- Preparation :... - Sensitizer: propylenediamene/methanolMethanolMethanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
Sources
- United States Government, United States Senate. Hearings Before the Electronic Battlefield Subcomittee of the Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee of the Committee on Armed Services. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1971.
- Jane's Mines and Mine Clearance 2005-2006