Although Canada signed, with great fanfare, the treaty banning landmines, when Canadian troops were sent to East Timor, they took mines with them. Technically, their mines are not landmines, for they are used above ground. The Claymore mines are an American development from the late 1950s. The Claymore is a saucer shaped device that upright pointed in the direction of the enemy. When the Claymore detonates, it fires a swarm of large shotgun type pellets. Like landmines, it can be set up to fire when the enemy hits a trip wire, or command detonated. The Canadians are using the command detonated version, but can quickly adapt their Claymores to operate automatically.