“Very good feedback from Ukraine”: Germany Launches PARM mines Production
2 July, 2024 The German DM22 anti-tank mine is in service with the Armed Forces. Photo credits: ArmyInform MBDA has resumed production of PARM anti-tank mines and disclosed the parameters of their modified version, PARM NextGen.
This was reported by EDR magazine. At the international defense exhibition Eurosatory 2024 in Paris, the German company TDW (MBDA Deutschland), which specializes in the development of combat parts and ammunition, announced the resumption of production of DM22 PARM mines after a 10-year break. Thousands of PARM (PanzerAbwehrRichtMinen) anti-tank mines were ordered to compensate for the mines transferred by Germany, as well as for direct deliveries to Ukraine.
A representative of TDW told the newspaper that the company operates in a one-shift mode five days a week. However, he did not specify production volumes. "We are getting very good feedback from Ukraine," said Andreas Seitz, explaining that "we have done a lot of analysis and found that this is the most cost-effective solution," with the key parameters being cost and ease of production.
Unlike the old anti-tank mines, the DM22 is a directed-action munition that is placed opposite roads and damages the side projection of passing vehicles with a cumulative jet. Once deployed, the mine has a 40-day duty period, after which it is switched to "safe" mode. It is triggered when a vehicle runs over a fiber optic cable installed in the direction of the shot along the road.
DM22 PARM.
Photo credits: MBDA
PARM NextGen
The journalists were also told that, based on the experience of combat use, the company is developing a modified PARM NextGen anti-tank mine, the first deliveries of which are expected by the end of 2026. The new mine will feature a better initiation system, which will include vibration, acoustic, and infrared sensors to replace the fiber optic cable. They will allow the smart mine to verify detected targets.
In addition, they will allow it to detect the distance to the target, initiating the charge at the best time, which the old system cannot provide. The second innovation will be the introduction of a radio control system that will allow the operator to remotely activate/deactivate a network of several mines at a distance of several hundred meters.
Prototype of the next generation anti-personnel mine PARM NextGen, June 2024.
Photo credits: TDW
The PARM NextGen will have an effective range of about 60 meters, but due to the integration of a large number of sensors, the mine's battery life will be reduced from 40 to 30 days.