They're sold as being clever but that doesn't mean they actually are
Let's take that lifespan business as an example. The best advertised failure rate for the disarming mechanism I've seen for FASCAM mines is 4%. That's the manufacturer's figure and it's based on optimal conditions. Even if it's true, I don't find it particularly reassuring to know that 1 in 25 land mines will still be live after their expiry date.
I would be even more sceptical of the claim to be able to differentiate between targets. It may well be true that they never detonate when a Challenger passes over them, but I wonder just how many different tractors or school buses they've tried these things out on.
Suppliers of military hardware have a long and distinguished history of over-stating their products' effectiveness, and there's no reason to believe that they've become any more honest recently.
(, Sun 1 Mar 2009, 11:48, Reply)
There's no pleasing some people....
Would you prefer 1 in 25 land mines going off, or 24 in 25 going off? They're not perfect, but they are designed to injure people/blow up vehicles.
They're pretty nasty things in general, but they serve a purpose in war, and you've got to win it before you can worry about whether your kids are going to be walking over them in years to come...
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HoratioFellatio Taking the the out of psychotherapist, Sun 1 Mar 2009, 20:06,
Reply)