The IMP mine detector was developed by the Soviet Union in the early 1970's.  It replaced the earlier UMIV-1 mine detector that was developed shortly after the Great Patriotic War.  The IMP was highly advanced for its time when it was first introduced.  Several examples of the IMP were captured by the United States military during the Vietnam war and they were very surprised at what they discovered.  The IMP was fully transistorized and actually superior to the U.S. mine detector in use at the time.  This development caused the U.S. to rapidly field a new more advanced type of mine detector.  A version of the IMP was fitted to the BRM-1K vehicle (a combat reconnaissance version of the BMP armored fighting vehicle).

The IMP can detect mines buried in the ground to a maximum depth of 45 centimeters (18 inches), but it would take a highly trained operator to notice mines buried that deep.  In its plastic tubular search head there are three coils.  One transmits while the other two receive.  Together these coils generate a magnetic induction bridge that is initially balanced for zero coupling.  When the search head passes over a metallic object the induction bridge becomes unstable and produces an audible signal in the headset.  Two tuning controls for the search head are located on the sensor box.

The carry handle of the mine detector is composed of four sections that can be easily disassembled for storage.  Four 1.5-volt batteries located in the base of the control box are used to power the IMP.  The batteries can provide 20 hours of continuous operation.

Sometime during the 1980's the IMP was replaced by the IMP-1 which is most easily distinguished from the IMP by having its two tuning controls in the handle of the wand instead of being located on the control box.