Bundeswehr prepares again for mine warfare on land

Currently the Bundeswehr is refitting what’s in stock of its old mine layer system T85. This system can place and cover anti-tank mines of type DM 31 in the ground. Seven T85 should be ready for training within NATO’s Very High Joint Readiness Task Force when the German Army will take their lead again in 2019. The reason therefore are the tensions with Russia, the major military power in Europe. It’s attractive again for military planers to have a weapon which can block and canalize the movement of armored units.

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German off-route mine PARM1 DM-12 against tanks – Foto: Bullpup / Wikipedia / CC-Licence

In the nineties belligerence with mines vanished from the repertoire of western powers armies like the Bundeswehr. The abandonment, especially of anti-personnel mines, was considered as a civilizing of warfare. Fighting with land mines was only good enough for minor powers and their „dirty“ wars in the Third World. But now the renaissance of territorial defense in NATO strategy means a resurgence of mine warfare on land. The Bundeswehr has already begun to develop its next generation mine layer system – project title „system with the ability for blocking and canalizing of movements“. According to the German Army it should be ready by 2025.