PFM-1

Anti-Personnel Mine

Soviet Union | 1970

"The Soviet PFM-1 is an utterly lethal Anti-Personnel Mine development of the Cold War period - still encountered today."

Physical
The physical qualities of the PFM-1. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

120 mm
4.72 in
O/A Length

0.26 lb
0.12 kg
Weight

Impact (Body Deformation) or Fuse Detonation.
Action

Not Applicable.
Caliber(s)

Single-Use, Expendable Body.
Feed

Not Applicable.
Sights

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the PFM-1 Anti-Personnel Mine family line.

PFM-1 - Base Series Designation; initial green production models.

PFM-1S - "Self-Liquidation" capability; under 2 hour activation life.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/29/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Warfare inherently has many ugly sides with one of the ugliest being measures that do not discriminate between friend or foe, military or civilian targets. The anti-personnel mine falls under this description, designed to maim or outright kill through its detonation, the blast effect or fragments proven utterly lethal against those unfortunate enough to be within its zone. Despite an international effort to ban such battlefield measures since 1997, the anti-personnel mine continues to see widespread use in warfare today (2023).

During the Cold War between East and West, the Soviets developed a new generation of anti-personnel mine which became the "PFM-1" - no doubt influenced by the American Army's BLU-43 "Dragontooth" anti-personnel mine series used in Laos during Operation Igloo White as part of the Vietnam War (1965-1975). This winged, plastic-bodied device was designed as a cost-effective solution that could be set by ground forces or air-dropped via aircraft / helicopter through cassette containers - the "winged" design of the mine helping to retard the mine's fall.

The mine's design is wholly utilitarian by nature, intended to be produced in quantity as cheaply as possible while promoting the most "value" as an anti-personnel solution. Arming is by way of safety pin removal to which a spring in actuated until contacting the detonator component - detonation being handled by any external changes to the exterior plastic body of the mine making it extremely sensitive even for trained handlers. Disarming is impossible.

PFM-1 marked the original production models which arrived in a very identifiable green coloring - the coloring meant for better concealment on the expected European battlefields of the Cold War period. The PFM-1S followed as a variant. Initial use was in the Soviet-Afghan War where the mine's green bodies were easily noticeable against the dry, desert environment of the Afghan battlefield.

The sheer quantity of mines produced has ensured their place even in the modern Russian inventory - where forces have taken to its use (alongside other design types) in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War (2022-Present).

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the PFM-1. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): State Factories - Soviet Union

[ Afghanistan; Russia; Soviet Union; Ukraine ]

Going Further...
The PFM-1 Anti-Personnel Mine appears in the following collections:

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