From:	Russ Myrick <rm91612@****.net>
Subject:	Re: Security Gadgets ... WAMs
Date:	Mon, 06 May 1996 19:16:24 -0700

The US Air Force currently has a unit called an area defender, it's part
of the FASCAM family of mines. The AD is a multi-shot multi-purpose mine
using self forging rounds for anti vehicular fire and a combination of
flechette, wire, and SF rounds for anti personnel fire. The Unit is
shaped some what like a flat topped pyramid with a large disc and several
smaller discs on each face and the top. It is motion sensitive, firing on
targets within 30m. The AV disc (the large one), is a copper uranium
alloy 9mm thick & 90mm in dia., and has a muzzle velocity of
76,000ft/second. The AP discs are 4mm thick, 15mm in dia., made of
copper, have a similar muzzle velocity, and are layered like fish scales.
For anti armor the whole unit detonates when an armored vehicle passes
directly over it. I haven't a clue as to how it distinguishes between
types of targets or even aims at them ... there are no visible sensors on
this bread box (the base is roughly 20cm X 20cm). The demoes & stats
I've seen of this thing show it to have a 90% accuracy rate & it will
fire at a target stops moving or the unit has expended its ammo for that
type of target. The patterns used in the demo were air drops with a 20
density scatter ( avg 20m +/- 5m between mines)