GATOR mine system The GATOR mine system is a US system of air - dropped anti - tank and anti - personnel mine s developed in the 1980s to be compatible with existing cluster dispensers . It is used with two dispenser systems — the Navy CBU - 78 / B and the Air Force CBU - 89 / B . Additionally the mines are used with the land - and helicopter - based Volcano mine system . In use the bombs are dropped from aircraft flying at speeds between , and at altitudes of between 100 and 1 , 200 meters . An FMU - 140 / B fuze controls the opening of the dispenser at one of 10 predetermined altitudes between 90 m and 900 m using a doppler ranging radar or alternatively a 1 . 2 second time fuse . Mine arming begins when the dispenser opens with the activation of the mines ' vanadium pentoxide batteries . The circular mines have a rectangular plastic " aeroballistic " adaptor . Once the mines reach the ground they arm in between 1 . 2 and 10 seconds . The mines self - destruct after a preset time which can be set to 4 hours , 15 hours or 15 days . Any that do not will become disabled after 40 days when the batteries discharge fully . The self - destruct time is set just prior to aircraft takeoff using a simple selector switch on the dispenser . During the Gulf War the dud rate for this system was significant , in one of seven Kuwati battlefield sectors there were 205 BLU - 91 and 841 BLU - 92 duds . Given that 89 , 235 BLU - 91 and 27 , 535 BLU - 92 mines were used during the Gulf War , this represents a dud rate of somewhere between 0 . 5 to 2 % for the BLU - 91 and to 6 to 21 % for the BLU - 92 . Additionally , CMS mine field clearing personnel reported dud GATOR mines detonating with no apparent triggering event , and speculated that the extreme heat of the Kuwait desert may have triggered detonation . The GATOR system provides a means to emplace minefield s on the ground rapidly using high - speed tactical aircraft . A typical GATOR minefield is 650 m long and 200 m wide and contains 432 anti - tank mines and 132 anti - personnel mines . The minefields are used for area denial , diversion of moving ground forces , or to immobilize targets to supplement other direct attack weapons . In the 1991 Gulf War the US Air Force employed 1 , 105 CBU - 89s . One reported task was to hamper the movements of Iraqi Scud missile launchers . Airforce CBU - 89 / B . The Airforce CBU - 89 / B is a cluster munition containing 72 antitank and 22 antipersonnel mines , consists of an SUU - 64 Tactical Munitions Dispenser with an optional FZU - 39 proximity sensor . The TMD is the same general configuration used for the CBU - 87 / B Combined Effects Munition . This commonality allows for high - rate , low - cost production of the dispenser . When the CBU - 89 is used in conjunction with the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser guidance tail kit , it become a precision - guided munition designated as CBU - 104 . Navy CBU - 78 / B . The Navy CBU - 78 / B is a cluster munition containing 45 antitank and 15 antipersonnel mines . It uses the same dispenser as the Mk7 Rockeye . Mines . BLU - 91 / B anti - tank mine . The BLU - 91 / B AT mine is a low flat cylinder with a rectangular aeroballistic shell . A magnetic sensor in the mine detects targets , when it detects a suitable target and the target reaches the most vulnerable approach point it detonates the mine . The mine is also triggered if the mine is moved , or if the battery reaches a certain low voltage point . Once the fuse is triggered , a small clearing charge is fired that clears any debris that may be on top of the mine . A second larger charge is triggered 30 ms later , creating an Explosively Formed Penetrator capable of penetrating 70 mm of armour , using the Misznay - Schardin effect . The charge is capable of penetrating the most armoured vehicles from below . The mine weighs 1 . 95 kilograms and is 127 millimeters in diameter , with 580 grams of an RDX / Estane explosive mix . BLU - 92 / B anti - personnel mine . After the mine reaches the ground , and the arming delay has passed , a squib is fired launching eight tripwires from the mine . Tension on any of the wires triggers the mine electronically ; it also has an anti - handling " ball and can " switch . The mine has an effective fragmentation radius of about 20 meters . The mine is approximately 127 millimeters in diameter and weighs 1 . 68 kilograms . The mine ' s main charge consists of 420 grams of Composition B - 4 . It is found unexploded in Iraq and Kuwait after US military usage in the Gulf War .