Armed-state detector for antitank mines

Abstract

An armed-state detector for the testing of "live" antitank mines is discld. The invention allows a user to determine, from a safe distance, if a mine is in an "active" state. A pole mounted sensor array is placed over the mine to sample the weak repetitive magnetic field that emanates from "active" mines. A hand-held, battery powered, detector box provides an audible or visual indication of whether or not the mine is "active". In addition to indicating that the mine is "active", the armed-state detector allows the user to determine the angular orientation of the magnetometer common to all antitank mines. The detector also provides a means whereby limited diagnostics can be performed on an unexploded mine. With the armed-state detector the user can determine if the fuze of an unexploded mine has been "killed" outright, or has merely failed to respond to the test stimulus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.