*Highly accurate EOD reference model

The PMA-2 is a Yugoslavian made plastic anti-personnel blast mine containing very little metal. It is sometimes locally referred to as the 'Pašteta', due to its resemblance to a small meat Pâté tin.  

The mines are usually buried leaving only the plunger visible above the ground, making them difficult to spot in light undergrowth. The plastic mine body is in two parts, the lid being glued in place and sealed. The UPMAH-2 fuze screws into the lid and has a plastic plunger emerging with a distinctive six-pronged star-shaped contact. The mine is armed by removing a pin which when in place blocks the downward travel of the plunger. When sufficient pressure is applied to the plunger a membrane disc breaks, forcing the plunger downwards onto a friction-sensitive pyrotechnic composition. The burning composition flashes through to the detonator. The charge of the detonator (M-17P-2) is 7 grams of pressed TNT in paraffin. This in turn initiates a small booster pellet present in the mine body consisting of 2g pressed tetryl. The main charge is 95g compressed TNT with a density of 140 to 148 g/cm3 protected by paraffin.

The PMA-2 was exported to Angola, Namibia, and widely used during the civil war in Yugoslavia across Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. The mine is hard to detect due to the only metal part being the aluminum shell of the detonator. Using a star-shaped plunger also gives this mine a fairly high degree of resistance to blast overpressure.

Note by O.V. Valetsky: Due to the strong smell, the mine is very well found by dogs. Interest in it is shown by wild boars and foxes. For some reason, the latter love to carry them through the forest, thereby creating a great danger to people.

.step / .STL