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The MON-50 antipersonnel mine is a Soviet version of American M-18 Claymore, a directional fragmentation mine.
The curved plate is filled with pellets or projectiles in front of the explosive charge. It can be mounted against a round surface as a tree or can be placed on a small stand-alone stake.
Preformed metal fragments of selected shapes and sizes are shot out by the blast at a high velocity.
Described as the military equivalent of the sawn-off shotgun, the widely copied American M-18 Claymore mine propels 700 steel balls forward in a 60 degree arc and can kill targets up to 50 metres away and maim upto 100 meters. Other types can kill people as far away as 200 metres.
Directional fragmentation mines are often planted around foxholes or used against convoys, and can sometimes be activated by a simple remote-control switch. Used extensively in Cambodia.
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