ARMORED WARFARE: Command Detonated Mine Conquers All

Strategypage.com ^ | March 16, 2002 | Adam Geibel

[John H K]

The Command Detonated Mine (CDM) is quickly becoming a staple of Asymetrical Warfare. It has been used with deadly effect in both the First and Second Chechen Wars, as well as in Sri Lanka, Lebanon and the fighting in India's Kargil region. Also known as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), the standard device is often a 152mm HE artillery shell or it's equivalent with a C-4 wad and detonator connected to a cell-phone, pager or radio initiator. Variations on this theme, to include wire-controlled detonation, are as varied as the conflicts in which they can be found.

The Israelis Defense Force has recently suffered two identical attacks in the same area and has shown no perceived ability to respond to this threat. Prior to 14 February 2002, the IDF's Merkava Main Battle Tanks were considered fairly invulnerable assets, since the Palestinians had no real antitank weapons. So Tel Aviv deployed their tanks to deal with the Intifada, safe in the assumption that their tankers were safe, that the tanks would dampen any crisis and that they'd suffer no embarrassing losses.

Wrong assumption. Shortly before 07:00 14 March, Palestinian terrorists triggered a Command Detonated Mine under a $3 million, 60-ton Merkava III MBT that had been escorting a civilian convoy on the Karni - Netzarim road in the central Gaza Strip. The force of the explosion from the 50 kilo (110 pound) radio-controlled mine blew the turret off the tank. The terrorists were hiding in or behind a nearby mosque near the settlement of Netzarim.

Sergeant Rotem Shani (19), Sergeant Matan Biderman (21) and one unnamed soldier were killed, while two more were wounded. Rescue forces had difficulty freeing the crew's bodies from the tank, while an IDF helicopter evacuated the wounded to Beersheba's Soroka Hospital. One of the two wounded was standing outside of the vehicle.

Reuters reported that a coalition of Palestinian militant groups (including the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the Salahudin Brigade and the Islamic movement Hamas) took responsibility for the attack. This attack took place one month to the day after Palestinian terrorists blew up a Merkava 3 (considered one of the world's best-protected) on the same road.

The area was closed to traffic as a giant crane was brought to the scene to tow away the remains of the Merkava 3 tank. Some Palestinian witnesses said that IDF troops searched nearby fields for suspects, while other tanks drove several hundred meters into Palestinian territory during the search. Palestinian Authority security officials and witnesses insinuated that the IDF retaliated by sending 15 armored fighting vehicles and three bulldozers headed towards the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp. There they demolished eight houses and a security post, as well as crops and irrigation systems in the area.

Could any armored behemoth withstand a 50kg CDM? Not likely, unless one wanted to invest in some waddling 100 ton monster. The useful responses are more operational in nature, but expensive and time-consuming; extensive engineering reconnaissance, electronic transmission suppressors and varied convoy scheduling. What is perhaps most troubling is that the IDF has had recent experience with CDMs and seems to be ignoring their own "lessons learned" from Lebanon. - Adam Geibel

[John H K]

Little more info on these things since it's been a topic of discussion. Not really all that complicated to build or find the materials for and no tank in the world can survive one.

[BLASTER 14]

The first thing that occurred to me when I read this was, "welcome to Vietnam". The VC and the NVA did the same to us from time to time. The big difference is that the VC/NVA did not have the access to 152-155 mm projos that the Palestinians have.

Sharon maybe should start rethinking his strategy. If he keeps on the route he has apparently decided upon, I think he (and therefore Israel) will lose.

Guerrillas frequently, sooner or later, come up with a deterrent to the stronger power's offensive weapons.

Keep in mind: guerrilla war is the fight of the weaker against the stronger.

Our war against "world terroism" is nothing more than a world-wide guerrilla war.

So far we have done well against this Evil. God Help us to do well in the future.

[BradyLS]

I was thinking much the same thing. It occured to me that it may come down to anti-riot vehicles that are more heavily armored underneath than on top and using solid rubber wheels rather than tracks. Or develop a special riot 'copter.

[ZOOKER]

One obvious response would be to stop travelling the roads that the Palis would likely have pre-placed the mines on.

This will be hard on settlements, with 50-ton rampaging through sidestreets, perhaps through the buildings themselves, but they asked for it.

[boris]

For starters, they should have flensed the hiding place (Mosque) down to the bare soil.

Then they should have gotten serious.

--Boris

[Free the USA]

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