slept2long

Course if the enemy knew you were coming, which they would because tanks aren't exactly stealth, couldn't they just launch anti-tank helicopters or ground based defenses? Since Korea's DMZs' is what's keeping us from signing on, or so we say, aren't there better means to defend it?

slept2long

That sounds like a good idea. Or maybe make them electronically triggerable/deactivatable.

slept2long

Perhaps an exemption would help this along but I wonder if giving an exemption for that DMZ is an effort toward solving the problem of landmines
while continuing the problems of North and South Korea. While the rest of the world is moving ahead these two are at each others throats like animals. Not a good example of comprimise If I do say so myself.

slept2long

Loren your idea is a good one as long as there are no exeptions and harsh penalties. Otherwise it may be just another toothless international rule for the U.S. to molest.

slept2long

Coleman,I ain't gonna argue with you 'cause I can sense the futility of such in your post. I do wonder how you feel about clearing the fields you laid or laying them more carefully. Should those who lay mines clean them up when they are no longer useful? Do you think this policy would encourage people to find alternatives to mines instead of having to clean them up or do you think people might just make excuses to keep forces in need of mine defense in the area longer.

Amen-Moses

Could we add "cleaned up by the layers OR the winners", I somehow can't see dead people clearing mines!

Amen-Moses

Loren Pechtel

Mines aren't normally scooped up and reused anyway, thus they wouldn't gain much.

Good safeties have to destroy the mine after the time has passed so as to not leave explosives that will age and become unstable. Thus the clock won't be started until the mine is emplaced and armed. Again, no benefit for the builders.

Loren Pechtel

Originally posted by slept2long
So currently we lay out mine fields strategically and chart them all. Do we still just drop them outta planes where charting them is impossible? I am wndering to what effect the U.S.'s use of them has been changed in recent maybe not so recent years.

The only place we currently use minefields is the DMZ.

I could see there worth when a few people need to defend against a greater number of soldiers but when they are simply used to mark off a permanent border, the DMZ seems to fit that description, wouldn't a wall be better?

A wall is going to make one bit of difference?!?! How long is it going to last against tanks? Or even satchel charges?

Interesting information Lamma. We agree that leaving them behind is unacceptable. I wonder if the U.S. has tried to look for alternatives and if we've found any?

Simple--don't leave them behind! Chart your fields and clean them up when you are done.

Loren Pechtel

The point of minefields is to slow down the enemy. That's the whole point of our defense on the DMZ--slow down NK so we have time to get enough force over there to stop them.

As for anti-tank helicopters--it's an area under the SAM umbrella of the north. Choppers better not stick their head above a hill until the SAM's have been knocked out--and by then you've been overrun. The Hellfires will get some but not enough to make much difference. Also, the number of spots to fire from will be limited (the only way to survive against the SAM's is to peek over a hill) and the range of 8" artillery exceeds the range of the Hellfire. That could make life mighty unpleasant for the choppers--the NK's would know the terrain and could fuse the shells to go off near the choppers.

As for ground based defenses--they'll do very little. While they are hardened enough the artillery bombardment won't kill too many they won't be in a position to stick their heads up to fire. Artillery is very effective at making infantry keep it's heads down. VT fused they can keep firing until the defending bunkers are overrun by the tanks.

Amen-Moses

Define "currently", we littered Iraq with the damn things and never made any attempt to go and clean them up!

(btw people here do know what airfield denial weapons do don't they?)

Amen-Moses