The PMD-6, PMD-7 and PMD-57 series mines are Russian blast type anti-personnel mines that consist of a wooden box with a hinged lid with a slot cut into it. The slot presses down against a retaining pin, which holds back the striker. When sufficient pressure is applied to the lid of the box the retaining pin moves, allowing the striker to hit the detonator. The mines typically have an operating pressure of 1 to 10 kg. All the mines in the series use MOV series fuzes.
As with other wooden box mines, the mine has a relatively short lifetime since the box is vulnerable to rotting and splitting, disabling the mine. It is, however, more dangerous in the fact that it can't be found with a metal detector.
The mines are sometimes used with mortars bombs in place of the normal explosive blocks.
The mines, and locally produced copies, are found in a large number of countries including Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, Chad, Cyprus, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Iraq, Kurdistan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, North Korea, Oman, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Western Sahara, Uganda, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.
Contents |
| PMD-6 | PMD-6M | PMD-7 | PMD-7ts | PMD-57 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 400 g | 400 g | 400 g (approx) | 400 g | |
| Explosive content | 200 g | 200 g | 75 or 200 g | 50 or 75 g | 400 g |
| Length | 198 mm | 190 mm | 152 mm | 200 mm | |
| Width | 85 mm | 89 mm | 76 mm | 100 mm | |
| Height | 65 mm | 65 mm | 51 mm | 80 mm | |
| Operating pressure | 1 to 10 kg | 6 kg | 1 to 9 kg | 19 kg | |