Pentagon's new suitcase minefield system bolsters Ukraine aid
The new military aid package for Ukraine includes an unusual weapon: the Pentagon has confirmed the delivery of the M131 MOPMS system, an automatically deployed minefield contained in a suitcase. We explain how this equipment works.
Alongside artillery, mines are among the most effective types of weaponry used during the war in Ukraine. The new tranche of American aid includes equipment that allows for the remote creation of minefields.
The Pentagon has agreed to deliver M692/M731 ADAM artillery ammunition, which allows for remote mining, the mobile M136 Volcano mine-laying system, akin to the Polish Baobab-K system, and the portable M131 MOPMS set, which facilitates remote creation of a minefield.
While remote mining with artillery is not unusual, nor are mobile remote mining systems, the M131 MOPMS set is distinctive for both its operating method and its unusual form.
M131 MOPMS – a suitcase with a minefield
The M131 MOPMS (Modular Pack Mine System) is a complete remote mine-laying system housed in a container weighing about 55 kilograms, resembling a suitcase, with retractable transport handles for easy carrying by soldiers. Within the container, apart from the control system, there are 21 anti-personnel and anti-tank mines.
Creating a minefield barrier involves placing the "suitcase" on the ground and remotely initiating the launch of mines, which are scattered around the container. Two minutes after launching, the fuzes activate, and a minefield measuring approximately 35 by 70 metres is ready for operation.
Thus, after previously deploying the M131 MOPMS containers, a minefield with a specific mode of operation can be created and activated quickly; the mines may detonate upon contact or with a delay. They are also equipped with a self-destructor, so they pose no threat after the end of hostilities.
