I think a minefield that can be monitored by someone at a computer is pretty cool. The $100 million spent in R&D is kind of a turn off

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is close to deciding whether to produce a new generation of land mines, but the system is drawing fire from critics who say the military is ignoring international sentiment against such weapons.

Underscoring the unpopularity of the devices, defense officials working on the program, called Spider, declined to call the weapon a land mine. They opted instead for generic descriptions like "networked munitions."

The Spider has the same function as a field of land mines — to prevent anyone from crossing a piece of territory, either by killing them or scaring them away. But unlike a traditional minefield, it is designed to be monitored by a human operator, who can activate the system by computer when somebody enters the protected area...

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I honestly don't have the time to read the full article. Can you summerize how this "spider" thing improves the landmines we currently have? The landmines seem very very effective thusfar.

A single Spider system would involve up to 84 "munitions," each a small disc with six miniature, single-shot grenade launchers. When a nearby tripwire is triggered, one or all the grenades will fire, depending on the setting.

The disks can also be loaded with plastic balls as a nonlethal weapon, Chaplin said.

Each mine runs on a battery which has a life of 30 days. Once the battery dies, then the mine is rendered useless. There is nothing on how the minefield is controlled. My guess is that they are connected by wires which run back to the control station.

Originally Posted by Doody

Each mine runs on a battery which has a life of 30 days. Once the battery dies, then the mine is rendered useless. There is nothing on how the minefield is controlled. My guess is that they are connected by wires which run back to the control station.

Very interesting.

Each mine runs on a battery which has a life of 30 days. Once the battery dies, then the mine is rendered useless. There is nothing on how the minefield is controlled. My guess is that they are connected by wires which run back to the control station.

What happens when our enemy digs up our mines after 30days and puts a new battery in, we just handed them a spankin new land mine.

i hate it when that happens

Originally Posted by Rabs

What happens when our enemy digs up our mines after 30days and puts a new battery in, we just handed them a spankin new land mine.

As soon as the mine reports back to the computer that it has been tampered with, either set one off that has a good battery and is close to him or fire the whole field. Most battery operated devices like cameras or cell phones and such have a small NiMh or NiCd backup battery that is long lived to serve as a backup for the main battery so memory won't be lost when batteries are replaced. Use it to fire the squib by microwave signals.

I think our current mines are peachy. Spend our money on something else.

I think our current mines are peachy. Spend our money on something else.

ditto.

maybe a few more F-22s

Originally Posted by Doody

Each mine runs on a battery which has a life of 30 days. Once the battery dies, then the mine is rendered useless. There is nothing on how the minefield is controlled. My guess is that they are connected by wires which run back to the control station.

pesonally i cant see the problem for anti mine campeigners, i mean most of the mines that are causing problems are one that cant be rendered inert, or those lovely air dropped one that look like toys to kids

personally, if it can make themselves inert then i dont see anythign wrong with them at all.

as for putting a new battery in them....i'm sure the designers have thought of that