During the conduct of hostilities, there may be a need for fast and dense mining of a dangerous direction. Time constraints do not allow assigning such a task to sappers, since a person has low productivity. For this reason, special equipment is required to quickly mine relatively large areas. In the Russian armed forces, various aviation and ground systems are used for this. One of the most common types of the latter is the UMP universal mine layer.
The development of this engineering machine was carried out in the late seventies under the leadership of B. N. Balashova, A. B. Pogodin, B. F. Cherny and E. M. Osadchy. The goal of the UMP project was to create a self-propelled vehicle capable of remote mining of relatively large areas of supply. The new mining system was supposed to use existing cassettes containing mines for various purposes. The result of the design work was the creation of a set of special equipment designed for installation on a car chassis.
Universal minelayer UMP. Photo Saper.etel.ru
As the basis for the UMP mine layer, a ZIL-131V truck with an onboard body of a modified design was chosen. It was proposed to mount all the equipment necessary for mining on the cargo area of the car. The use of the existing chassis simplified both construction and the operation or maintenance of new equipment. In addition, this approach provided the UMP minelayer with running characteristics at the level of other wheeled vehicles used by the troops.
In the body of the base car there are six special starting devices. Launchers are mounted on rotary devices, the design of which provides guidance in two planes. The swivel base provides circular guidance in the desired direction. In this case, however, before performing mining, the calculation of the machine must fix the starting device in one of the positions: 0 ° (parallel to the axis of the machine), 90 °, 135 °, 180 °, 225 ° and 270 °. Vertical aiming is performed in the same way. Depending on the mining scheme, the launchers can be fixed at 0 ° (parallel to the horizon), 10 °, 15 °, 30 ° or 45 °.
The swivel base of the launchers of the UMP minelayer is built without the use of any mechanical drives. Aiming devices at the required angles is carried out manually before performing a combat mission. After bringing the device to the desired position, the guidance mechanisms are fixed with special locks. The guidance mechanisms of different devices are not interconnected, which allows them to be guided independently.
The launching device is a block in the form of a prism with a hexagonal base, in which 30 barrels are installed for installing cassettes. The trunks are arranged in six rows, from four to six in each. In the breech part of the barrels, contacts of the electric launch system are provided.
The UMP universal mine layer can use cassettes for several types of mines. The caliber and dimensions of the barrels allow this machine to use all available remote mining cassettes. Depending on the type of cassettes used, the UZM can install minefields against enemy infantry or equipment.
Cassettes of all existing models represent a duralumin cylinder with a diameter of 148 mm and a length of 480 mm. The weight of such a product, depending on the type, reaches 9 kg. The cassette body consists of a main glass and a lid. At the bottom of the glass, a powder expelling charge is provided for ejection of mines from the cassette. When fired, the cover breaks off the mounts and flies to the side without interfering with the mines. The entire inner space of the glass is given for the placement of mines of the desired type.
There are several main lines of cassettes designed for remote mining. By their design, they do not differ from each other, all the differences are only in combat equipment. So, cassettes of the KSF-1 family carry up to 72 anti-personnel mines PFM-1 or PFM-1S. Ejection of mines is provided at a range of up to 30-35 m. KSO-1 cassettes carry eight POM-1 anti-personnel mines, firing range - up to 35 m. for a range of about 100-140 m.
Cassette KPOM-2. Photo Saper.etel.ru
For the installation of anti-tank minefields, cassettes of the KPTM line are intended, containing from one to three mines PTM-1, PTM-3 or PTM-4. The maximum mining range using such cassettes is 100 m. The PDM-4 anti-landing mines are installed using the KPDM-4 cassettes. The firing range is up to 100 m.
Up to 180 cassettes can be placed in six launchers of the UMP mine layer. Depending on the task at hand, the number of mines fired can vary over a wide range. In addition, mixed charging of launching devices is allowed to create combined barriers.
Due to the absence of large units, the dimensions of the UMP minelayer do not exceed the dimensions of other equipment based on the ZIL-131V chassis. The total length of such a vehicle is 7.1 m, the width is 2.5 m, the height in the stowed position is no more than 3 m. The curb weight of the vehicle is 8.3 tons. With a full load of ammunition, the weight of the minelayer can reach 10.1 tons. masking and protection of starting devices, the onboard body of the car can be equipped with arcs on which the awning is fixed. The minelayer with an awning has no external differences from other ZIL-131V trucks.
In terms of its running characteristics, the UMP minelayer also does not differ from other equipment based on the used chassis. The maximum speed on the highway is 80 km / h, on a dirt road - up to 50 km / h. The fuel range reaches 850 km.
UMP, side view. Photo Cris9.armforc.ru
The use of the UMP universal mine layer is as follows. The crew, consisting of two people, arrives at the installation site of the barrier and prepares the machine for work. The awning is removed and the ammunition is loaded in the required configuration. It takes about one and a half to two hours to fully load the cassettes by the calculation forces. By attracting additional workers, the preparation time for mining can be shortened. After equipping, the launchers are rotated to the desired angle and fixed in this position. Further work depends on the task at hand. In accordance with the mining plan, the driver guides the minelayer along a predetermined route at a speed of no more than 40 km / h, and the mine operator, using an electric control system, controls the launch of the mines.
At the command of the operator, the electric launch system ignites the expelling charge, which leads to the release of mines from the cartridge. At the same time, the cover rips off the cassette, and its contents can fly out to a distance of several tens of meters. Deployed mines fall to the ground and are cocked. Their further work depends on the type of fuse used, etc. The dimensions of the scattering ellipse of mines depend on their type and number in the cassette. For example, PFM-1 anti-personnel mines scatter within an ellipse 18-20 m long and 8-10 m wide. 120-140 m.
UMP, rear view. Photo Cris9.armforc.ru
The design and method of operation of the UMP allows mining in several passes, with recharging of the launching devices as they become empty. In this way, both a single-type and a mixed minefield can be created. The specific types of mines fired and placed, used to create an obstacle, depend only on the available assignment.
In one pass, the UMP minelayer can throw up to 180 PTM-3 anti-tank mines, up to 540 PTM-1 anti-tank mines, up to 720 POM-2 anti-personnel mines, or up to 12960 PFM-1 anti-personnel mines. When installing a mixed barrier by simultaneously shooting several types of cassettes, the maximum number of transported mines of one type or another is reduced.
In practice, such capabilities of the minelayer are as follows. When fully loaded with KSF-1 cassettes with PFM-1 antipersonnel mines (180 cassettes with 72 mines in each), the UMP machine can "sow" an area (mining in one lane) up to 30 m wide and up to 5 km long. In this case, there are up to 2, 6 mines per running meter of the mining strip, which gives the probability of hitting the enemy at the level of 30%.
Training version of the PFM-1 antipersonnel mine. Photo Wikimedia Commons
The ability to change the angle of elevation of the launching device allows the calculation of the machine to mine both in one lane, and in two or three. To do this, you should install the launchers at different elevation angles. Depending on the task at hand, the calculation of the UMP minelayer, including acting in several passes, can create a large minefield designed to defeat enemy personnel and / or equipment. By using several minelayers in parallel, it is possible to reduce the installation time of mines or increase the size of the minefield.
In the early eighties, the UMP universal mine layer was adopted by the Soviet army. Soon, full-scale serial production of such machines began, with the distribution of equipment between parts of the engineering troops. The operation of UMP machines continues to this day. The choice of the base chassis, the simple but effective design of the launchers, and the use of universal cassettes provide acceptable ease of use and flexibility in their intended use. UMP minelayers are still in use, but a replacement for them is already being prepared. Not so long ago, a new machine for a similar purpose was created. At the recent Army-2015 exhibition, the UMZ-K minelayer on a new wheeled chassis was presented for the first time.
