The VS-50 is a circular plastic-cased anti-personnel blast mine that entered production in 1985. It was formerly made by the now-defunct Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA, an Italian high-tech defence company specialized in area denial systems. The company also the made the Valmara 69, and was one of the first to implement plastic construction for landmines. The VS-50's design is similar to that of the TS-50 and VS-MK2 mines. It is blast resistant and can be used in a minimum metal configuration. Though unlikely to kill, its explosive charge is quite sufficient to destroy the victim's foot, being capable of penetrating 5 mm of mild steel leaving an 80 mm-diameter hole. Description The mine consists of three sections, a bottom section containing the main explosive charge, a middle section which contains the fuze and safety/arming mechanism, and the top section which consists of a neoprene pressure pad. The neoprene pressure pad is sometimes reinforced with an 18 gram mild steel plate, which makes the mine detectable by metal detectors. However, the majority of VS-50s were manufactured as minimal metal mines and are therefore much harder to detect. The case is waterproof and can be used in water up to one metre deep. The mine can be deployed by helicopters or ground vehicles or laid by hand. Operation A sustained downward force of approximately ten kilograms on the pressure plate for a minimum of 0.10 seconds compresses the firing spring and cocks the striker. Continuous downward movement allows the trigger assembly to pivot, slowly forcing the air out of an anti-shock bladder and flips the striker down into the stab sensitive M41 detonator, at which point the mine explodes. The air pressure delay mechanism effectively blocks detonation if the force on the pressure plate is of short duration, because air does not have enough time to leave the small anti-shock bladder. This has two direct applications: allowing the mine to be dropped from helicopter mine scattering systems, and dramatically increasing the mine's resistance to explosive-based mine clearance techniques. It can therefore be regarded as a blast resistant mine. VS-50AR & VS-AR4 anti-handling devices The VS-50AR is an electronically fuzed version of the mine which contains an integral mercury tilt switch, that operates as an anti-handling device. The VS-50AR has a dummy pressure plate on top and its external appearance is very similar to the VS-50, which has obvious implications for demining personnel. The