Russia Develops Landmine With ‘Electronic Brain’

Russia has developed all-new antipersonnel smart mine with an electronic brain that prevents misfires and unauthorized handling.

The Medalyon POM-3, when activated, fires an explosive charge shooting out star-shaped metal fragments in a 360-degree horizontal arc while minimizing their effect outside the mine’s designated effective range, Russian media reported on Friday.

The special feature of  Medalyon is its electronic brain, which prevents any premature explosion and unauthorized defusing.

“Even if the enemy is lucky enough to get hold of the POM-3 and is still alive afterwards, he will never be able to figure out how it works,” The Scientific Research Institute of Engineering’s director Igor Smirnov told Zvezda TV on Friday. The mine’s Russian-designed microchip is simply impossible to crack.

The head of the Institute’s department of munitions, mining and demining, Mikhail Zhukov, said that because of the mine’s electronic brain, the time of its self-destruction can be remotely set, changed or cancelled altogether.

The POM-3’s other advantage is its ability to distinguish soldiers from civilians and go off only when approached by someone who is armed.

The POM-3 smart mine has already passed field tests and will soon be shipped to Russia’s armed forces.