M21 AT.

This is coolbert:

More American munitions sent to Ukraine. Anti-tank [AT] land mines in this instance. Ancient and venerable as they say. Reliability questionable?

From an article as seen at the Internet web site Strategy Page.

"Attrition: Anti-Tank Mines In Ukraine"

"May 4, 2023: In the latest arms shipment to Ukraine the United States included thousands of M21 anti-tank mines. The metal, 8 kg (17.5 pound) mines that, once planted and armed, will detonate when anything moving over it weighs more than 136 kg (300 pounds), sending a curved metal bar upwards. This will blow the track off a tank and can also penetrate up to 50mm [about two inches] of [belly] armor"

"STATUS: The M15, M19 and M21 AT mines were last procured in FY52, FY58 and FY62 respectively. The case, fuse well and the explosive charge of the M15 have deteriorated and a rehabilitation program is underway to upgrade the stockpile. No procurement actions are pending."

AT land mines taken from stockpile at least in the case of the M15, reliability understood to be poor!

As for other versions of the American landmine inventory we can only speculate if the mines will go bang or maybe not so. And if going bang, with the lethality as desired!

See previous blog entries further examples of American munitions the "soundness" of which was arguable to dubious:

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2018/08/tubes.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W47#Reliability_controversy

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/hyunmoo.htm 

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2018/08/defective.html

coolbert.