Hidden Enemy: Means of Combating Mines and IEDs
Mines and IEDs are increasingly used in modern global conflicts, becoming an integral part of them, which requires the development of a variety of solutions to combat them.
Counterinsurgency and asymmetric military operations in recent years have again forced close attention to mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The use of mines and, to some extent, mine traps (an early term of IEDs) was part of the strategy of the West during the Cold War. They could be used to deter the hypothetical attacks of the Warsaw Pact on NATO. They also had a significant impact on operations in Vietnam, border conflicts in South Africa, and most of the “minor wars” of the late 20 century.
More recently, mines, and especially IEDs, were widely used in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (although to this day news tapes are full of reports of terrorist attacks in these countries). Although some new technologies were introduced later, for example, remote detonation of explosives using electronic warfare, the essence of efforts to combat mines and IEDs remains the same - to detect and / or neutralize them before they detonate.
Since the advent of the technology for detecting metal objects using an electromagnetic field, sappers with hand-held mine detectors, working ahead of the main units, have become part of the standard demining tactics. These systems, as a rule, are a rod with a search device at the end, which gives a warning signal to the operator when an object of iron and its alloys is detected. Signal strength may indicate the size of an object. A potential object is marked and then can be identified as a real threat or not. According to Clay Fox of Vallon, a leader in technology for detecting mines and explosives, “the problem is how the detectors react to what may or may not be a mine. That is, it may happen that this sensor alone may not be enough. In addition, non-metal mines made without the addition of metal or with the minimum addition of metal are often used. Therefore, the Vallon Mine Hound VMR3 combined mine detector uses a metal detector search head (induction principle) and a subsurface sounding radar device (georadar principle). ” The Marine Corps purchased Mine Hound mine detectors for use in Iraq. The U.S. Army has contracted with L-3 SDS to develop the AN / PSS-14, a similar dual-channel system also with an induction metal detector and ground penetrating radar. A georadar emits a low-frequency signal, which detects violations of the integrity of the soil, is reflected back to the receiving antenna and processed by the processor. Improved signal processing algorithms eliminate “noise (that is, false objects) and classify those objects that can be real mines.
Identified mines can either be physically removed from the installation site or blown up on site using a charge. Removing can be potentially dangerous if the device was laid with additional traps to prevent it from moving. Fox further explained that “performance is not the only mine detector criterion. Weight, dimensions and ease of use are also very important parameters. That is why Vallon has included advanced electronics in its product, which significantly reduces size and weight. ” For example, with a mass of only 1,25 kg, the VMC4 can detect explosive devices in metal and dielectric housings and short wire lines.
Manual demining has its drawbacks: firstly, this process is rather slow, secondly, mine clearance groups are defenseless in front of the enemy’s fire and can be injured in the explosion of mines or IEDs. Mine exploration systems for vehicles are designed to search and detect (often while driving) all kinds of mines and IEDs installed on and along roads. Mine clearance vehicles are used to create passages in explored minefields.
Self-propelled systems for detecting mines and IEDs, as a rule, include a sensor kit mounted in front of the machine, inside which the driver and operator are placed under the protection of armor. The Husky Mark III VMMD system was originally developed by the South African company DCD Protected Mobility (DCD). In front of the cab located between the front and rear wheels, there is a subsurface radar from NIITEK Visor 2500, consisting of four panels with a total width of 3,2 meters. Husky can clear a passage three meters wide, moving at a maximum speed of 50 km / h, if detected, it marks the location of the explosive object for its disposal by the following specialized systems. The platform also has an inertial navigation system NGC LN-270 with GPS and an anti-interference module SAASM, it is possible to add a See-Deep Metal Detector Array. With low ground pressure, the Husky platform can freely pass over high-power anti-tank mines, while the cab and V-shaped hull provide protection against various devices of lower power. The latest version of the Husky has a double cab for the driver and operator of touch devices.
The VDM system from MBDA is equipped with an 3,9 meter-wide device mounted on an arrow for remote activation of a VCA, a metal detector installed on the bottom and an automatic path marking device. The VDM platform can accept additional sensors, but also work as part of a route clearing group. The combat experience of the French army showed that the VDM system can clear 150 km in a day, moving at a maximum speed of 25 km / h.
There is a distinction between “careful clearance” and “violent clearance”. The second method is for the most part compulsory and involves the use of striking trawls and explosives. Chains appeared during World War II, when similar systems were installed on the British Tanks. Typically, this is a mechanically rotating drum with chains attached to it, mounted on brackets in front of the machine. When the drum rotates, flails, to which weights or hammers can be attached, hit the ground, thereby detonating mines and IEDs.
The Aardvark system from the British company Aardvark Clear Mine is a typical representative of such systems. The drum with interchangeable flails rotates at a speed of 300 rpm, two operators are located in an armored cabin. In 2014, the U.S. Army began deploying its own M1271 warhead trawl based on the 20-ton tactical heavy truck. It is equipped with foam-filled wheels, an explosion-proof flap and 70 flail / hammers; during operation, the platform moves through the minefield at a speed of 1,2 km / h. The vibration is so great that the crew are seated on air-suspended seats. Other solutions, such as PTD Mine from the Italian FAE Group, use modified heavy construction platforms. The advantage of such solutions is that the parts for them and their maintenance are already available on the commercial market and quite often they are preferred to be involved in humanitarian demining operations. In addition, FAE machines are remotely controlled. Combat trawls are a faster solution compared to other demining methods, but on the other hand they are limited to open spaces.
Another method of clearance is the use of rollers mounted in front of the machine. They can often be mounted on standard tactical platforms, ranging from main tanks to light wheeled and tracked vehicles. In fact, in this case, a minimum revision is required - the installation of intermediate brackets between the machine and the roller system. Pearson Engineering’s Spark II lightweight skating rink (Self Protection Adaptive Roller Kit), specially designed for use on low-impact wheeled vehicles, uses hydraulics to create the necessary pressure and air suspension to ensure that the rollers follow the ground. This is especially important with the full-width mine clearance that Spark II provides, since a mine can be skipped if the skating rink makes contact with the ground intermittently. In addition to full-width options, rutting mine trawls are widely used, which are more common on heavier armored vehicles. They cover only the width of the tracks or wheels, but they weigh less and require less power to create pressure.
Pearson's lightweight wheeled trawl LWMR (Light Weight Mine Roller), tested in real combat conditions by US and Canadian contingents, can be mounted on light combat vehicles, including LAV and Stryker. A Rear Roller Kit (RRK) (a single set of six individually suspended wheels) can be added to provide protection for the following rear machines. In addition, the AMMAD (Anti Magnetic Mine Activating Device) system can be connected to groups of rollers for detonation of anti-tank mines with a magnetic fuse and mines with a rod fuse. These mines detonate under the hull when the car passes over them. The rollers work well on hard ground, but begin to “stick” on soft soil and in the mud.
Mine plows are installed and used, as well as skating rinks. But their main element is knives or long teeth that burrow into the ground and turn over buried mines. Pearson’s literature says that “mine plows need a more powerful carrier platform with good traction, so they are usually mounted on tracked vehicles.” The M1 tank clearing vehicle includes a mine plow, modified so that it can accommodate on a universal landing ship. However, mines and IEDs are not always buried, so Pearson also offers a surface mine plow or knife. SMP (Surface Mine Plow) practically slides along the flat surface of a road or trail, safely pushing installed mines and debris that could potentially be IEDs.
Explosive linear charges are specifically designed for clearing and making passages in a minefield. The method is fast and destructive. Typically, a system is a group of explosive charges connected by a cable attached to a rocket; the whole set is placed in a large box or on a special pallet. In BAE's Giant Viper system and its Python receiver, a linear charge kit is placed on a trailer, often towed by a military engineering vehicle or tank. After launch, the rocket pulls a chain of charges along it, which, after running out of fuel, falls to the ground along the area to be cleared. When the detonation of the charge creates excessive pressure, which causes the detonation of nearby mines. This type of system cleans a passage 8 meters wide and 100 meters long. The Americans also have a similar system on the trailer, called the MICLIC (MineClearing Line Charge). Other countries, including India and China, also produce such systems. Line charges are standard on Maine's ABV aisle equipment.
There are also smaller systems specifically designed for dismounted infantry. They destroy antipersonnel mines, IEDs, trap mines and landmines. The size of the cleared passage depends on the size and weight of the system, which in turn directly affects its suitability for carrying.
Many of the deployed mine control systems and IEDs are designed to work on more traditional minefields that are installed on troop movements or as defensive obstacles. IEDs create new challenges, for example, in that they are often installed off-road and in hard-to-reach places that can only be reached on foot. The Buffalo platform, originally manufactured by Force Protection Industries (now part of General Dynamics Land Systems), allows the mine clearance / clearance team to identify and neutralize IEDs protected by armor. The Buffalo has a very high ground clearance and a V-shaped housing for protection against explosion. The armored cabin has large windows so that crew members, from 4 to 6 people, better control the situation and identify possible threats. The machine also has an 9 meter-long arm controlled from the cab with various attachments, which is used to excavate construction debris that can hide the IED, to determine the type of device using a video camera installed on the manipulator, and to dig or extract a mine or IED. Six countries operate the Buffalo platform, including the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Pakistan.
Buffalo’s unique capabilities were also implemented on other machines of the MRAP category (with increased protection against mines and improvised explosive devices) due to the installation of similar manipulator arms on them. Manipulators are also further developed by the addition of various sensors, including chromatographic detectors, thermal imaging cameras, electromagnetic radiation sensors and other technologies that help better recognize suspicious objects.
The advent of radio-controlled VCA (VCA), often undermined with a simple mobile phone, created a new problem. These VCA can be detonated remotely at the command of the operator, who can choose the moment of detonation of the device. This makes them more effective, because you can choose a specific goal and it is more difficult to counter. To neutralize the RSVU and other remotely controlled devices, signal silencers were adopted. An MBDA spokesman said that "the experience of the French army in Afghanistan and Mali has shown that the use of a silencer is important for the survival and effectiveness of the route clearing group."
Most of the RSVU silencers are installed on vehicles. The U.S. Army operates the SRCTec Duke V3, and the Harris Marine Corps (CREW Vehicle Receiver Jammer) system from Harris. AT Communications' modular STARV 740 jamming system, designed to protect transport columns, automatically randomly scans frequency bands, identifies and suppresses the signal. Such systems consume a lot of energy and weigh from 50 to 70 kg.
For a dismounted soldier, light weight and low power consumption are critical factors. In the USA, the THOR III portable backpack system was developed and deployed. Complete jamming of frequencies is provided by three separate blocks. Its further development is the ICREW system, which has further expanded the protected ranges and capabilities. Ideally, it is necessary to have several such systems to create a protective dome in which the group could work safely.
To create autonomous systems that are currently appearing on the market, either existing machines are used, which are equipped with subsystems for autonomous navigation and driving, or specially designed land-based robotic systems (SRTK). The US Army operates its AMDS system, which has three modules deployed as needed on a remotely controlled robot MTRS (Man Transportable Robotic System). Supplied by Carnegie Robotics, they include a mine detection and marking module, an explosives detection and marking module, and a neutralization module.
Since 2015, Russia has also been armed with the Uran-6 SRTK developed by 766 UPTK, which the Russian military has widely used in Syria. This multifunctional system weighing 6000 kg can be equipped with a variety of tools, including a dozer blade, a manipulator arm, a milling cutter, a roller trawl, a gantry trawl and a gripper with a 1000 kg capacity. One operator controls Uranus using four video cameras and a radio control system with a range of one kilometer. The American company HDT has successfully demonstrated its Protector robot with a lively trawl. Devices under the blows of this minitral are more likely to break apart than detonate. In addition to specialized robotic systems, explosive ordnance disposal robots, which are also able to identify and neutralize single threats, are becoming more common.
In modern handheld mine detectors, miniature electronic devices are widely used for weight reduction and advanced signal processing in order to reduce the number of “false alarms” and increase their sensitivity and efficiency. But so far, the clearance of mines and IEDs is a slow and dangerous process.
Counterinsurgency and asymmetric military operations in recent years have again forced close attention to mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The use of mines and, to some extent, mine traps (an early term of IEDs) was part of the strategy of the West during the Cold War. They could be used to deter the hypothetical attacks of the Warsaw Pact on NATO. They also had a significant impact on operations in Vietnam, border conflicts in South Africa, and most of the “minor wars” of the late 20 century.
More recently, mines, and especially IEDs, were widely used in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (although to this day news tapes are full of reports of terrorist attacks in these countries). Although some new technologies were introduced later, for example, remote detonation of explosives using electronic warfare, the essence of efforts to combat mines and IEDs remains the same - to detect and / or neutralize them before they detonate.
Hand detectors
Since the advent of the technology for detecting metal objects using an electromagnetic field, sappers with hand-held mine detectors, working ahead of the main units, have become part of the standard demining tactics. These systems, as a rule, are a rod with a search device at the end, which gives a warning signal to the operator when an object of iron and its alloys is detected. Signal strength may indicate the size of an object. A potential object is marked and then can be identified as a real threat or not. According to Clay Fox of Vallon, a leader in technology for detecting mines and explosives, “the problem is how the detectors react to what may or may not be a mine. That is, it may happen that this sensor alone may not be enough. In addition, non-metal mines made without the addition of metal or with the minimum addition of metal are often used. Therefore, the Vallon Mine Hound VMR3 combined mine detector uses a metal detector search head (induction principle) and a subsurface sounding radar device (georadar principle). ” The Marine Corps purchased Mine Hound mine detectors for use in Iraq. The U.S. Army has contracted with L-3 SDS to develop the AN / PSS-14, a similar dual-channel system also with an induction metal detector and ground penetrating radar. A georadar emits a low-frequency signal, which detects violations of the integrity of the soil, is reflected back to the receiving antenna and processed by the processor. Improved signal processing algorithms eliminate “noise (that is, false objects) and classify those objects that can be real mines.
Identified mines can either be physically removed from the installation site or blown up on site using a charge. Removing can be potentially dangerous if the device was laid with additional traps to prevent it from moving. Fox further explained that “performance is not the only mine detector criterion. Weight, dimensions and ease of use are also very important parameters. That is why Vallon has included advanced electronics in its product, which significantly reduces size and weight. ” For example, with a mass of only 1,25 kg, the VMC4 can detect explosive devices in metal and dielectric housings and short wire lines.
Using remotely controlled vehicles, such as this Land Rover equipped with a Panama control system and a subsurface radar in front, reduces the risk of a mine blast. Behind him is a Mastif MRAP car with crew, equipped with Choker mine rollers and a mast video system.
Vehicle Systems
Manual demining has its drawbacks: firstly, this process is rather slow, secondly, mine clearance groups are defenseless in front of the enemy’s fire and can be injured in the explosion of mines or IEDs. Mine exploration systems for vehicles are designed to search and detect (often while driving) all kinds of mines and IEDs installed on and along roads. Mine clearance vehicles are used to create passages in explored minefields.
Self-propelled systems for detecting mines and IEDs, as a rule, include a sensor kit mounted in front of the machine, inside which the driver and operator are placed under the protection of armor. The Husky Mark III VMMD system was originally developed by the South African company DCD Protected Mobility (DCD). In front of the cab located between the front and rear wheels, there is a subsurface radar from NIITEK Visor 2500, consisting of four panels with a total width of 3,2 meters. Husky can clear a passage three meters wide, moving at a maximum speed of 50 km / h, if detected, it marks the location of the explosive object for its disposal by the following specialized systems. The platform also has an inertial navigation system NGC LN-270 with GPS and an anti-interference module SAASM, it is possible to add a See-Deep Metal Detector Array. With low ground pressure, the Husky platform can freely pass over high-power anti-tank mines, while the cab and V-shaped hull provide protection against various devices of lower power. The latest version of the Husky has a double cab for the driver and operator of touch devices.
The VDM system from MBDA is equipped with an 3,9 meter-wide device mounted on an arrow for remote activation of a VCA, a metal detector installed on the bottom and an automatic path marking device. The VDM platform can accept additional sensors, but also work as part of a route clearing group. The combat experience of the French army showed that the VDM system can clear 150 km in a day, moving at a maximum speed of 25 km / h.
Mobile combat trawls
There is a distinction between “careful clearance” and “violent clearance”. The second method is for the most part compulsory and involves the use of striking trawls and explosives. Chains appeared during World War II, when similar systems were installed on the British Tanks. Typically, this is a mechanically rotating drum with chains attached to it, mounted on brackets in front of the machine. When the drum rotates, flails, to which weights or hammers can be attached, hit the ground, thereby detonating mines and IEDs.
The Aardvark system from the British company Aardvark Clear Mine is a typical representative of such systems. The drum with interchangeable flails rotates at a speed of 300 rpm, two operators are located in an armored cabin. In 2014, the U.S. Army began deploying its own M1271 warhead trawl based on the 20-ton tactical heavy truck. It is equipped with foam-filled wheels, an explosion-proof flap and 70 flail / hammers; during operation, the platform moves through the minefield at a speed of 1,2 km / h. The vibration is so great that the crew are seated on air-suspended seats. Other solutions, such as PTD Mine from the Italian FAE Group, use modified heavy construction platforms. The advantage of such solutions is that the parts for them and their maintenance are already available on the commercial market and quite often they are preferred to be involved in humanitarian demining operations. In addition, FAE machines are remotely controlled. Combat trawls are a faster solution compared to other demining methods, but on the other hand they are limited to open spaces.
The Husky system is heavily used in many armies, all thanks to its success in Iraq and Afghanistan. The crew is housed in a well-protected cabin, while the platform exerts a slight pressure on the ground in order to prevent undermining of anti-tank mines. A subsurface radar for detecting min. More recently, these machines were used by the American contingent in Syria.
Machine-mounted rollers and plows
Another method of clearance is the use of rollers mounted in front of the machine. They can often be mounted on standard tactical platforms, ranging from main tanks to light wheeled and tracked vehicles. In fact, in this case, a minimum revision is required - the installation of intermediate brackets between the machine and the roller system. Pearson Engineering’s Spark II lightweight skating rink (Self Protection Adaptive Roller Kit), specially designed for use on low-impact wheeled vehicles, uses hydraulics to create the necessary pressure and air suspension to ensure that the rollers follow the ground. This is especially important with the full-width mine clearance that Spark II provides, since a mine can be skipped if the skating rink makes contact with the ground intermittently. In addition to full-width options, rutting mine trawls are widely used, which are more common on heavier armored vehicles. They cover only the width of the tracks or wheels, but they weigh less and require less power to create pressure.
Mine plows (knife trawls)
Pearson's lightweight wheeled trawl LWMR (Light Weight Mine Roller), tested in real combat conditions by US and Canadian contingents, can be mounted on light combat vehicles, including LAV and Stryker. A Rear Roller Kit (RRK) (a single set of six individually suspended wheels) can be added to provide protection for the following rear machines. In addition, the AMMAD (Anti Magnetic Mine Activating Device) system can be connected to groups of rollers for detonation of anti-tank mines with a magnetic fuse and mines with a rod fuse. These mines detonate under the hull when the car passes over them. The rollers work well on hard ground, but begin to “stick” on soft soil and in the mud.
Mine plows are installed and used, as well as skating rinks. But their main element is knives or long teeth that burrow into the ground and turn over buried mines. Pearson’s literature says that “mine plows need a more powerful carrier platform with good traction, so they are usually mounted on tracked vehicles.” The M1 tank clearing vehicle includes a mine plow, modified so that it can accommodate on a universal landing ship. However, mines and IEDs are not always buried, so Pearson also offers a surface mine plow or knife. SMP (Surface Mine Plow) practically slides along the flat surface of a road or trail, safely pushing installed mines and debris that could potentially be IEDs.
Pearson Engineering has developed a range of mine action systems for military vehicles of all sizes. This skating rink was specially designed for use on light armored vehicles, for example, American Stryker vehicles.
Line charges
Explosive linear charges are specifically designed for clearing and making passages in a minefield. The method is fast and destructive. Typically, a system is a group of explosive charges connected by a cable attached to a rocket; the whole set is placed in a large box or on a special pallet. In BAE's Giant Viper system and its Python receiver, a linear charge kit is placed on a trailer, often towed by a military engineering vehicle or tank. After launch, the rocket pulls a chain of charges along it, which, after running out of fuel, falls to the ground along the area to be cleared. When the detonation of the charge creates excessive pressure, which causes the detonation of nearby mines. This type of system cleans a passage 8 meters wide and 100 meters long. The Americans also have a similar system on the trailer, called the MICLIC (MineClearing Line Charge). Other countries, including India and China, also produce such systems. Line charges are standard on Maine's ABV aisle equipment.
There are also smaller systems specifically designed for dismounted infantry. They destroy antipersonnel mines, IEDs, trap mines and landmines. The size of the cleared passage depends on the size and weight of the system, which in turn directly affects its suitability for carrying.
Machines for the clearance of mines and IEDs
Many of the deployed mine control systems and IEDs are designed to work on more traditional minefields that are installed on troop movements or as defensive obstacles. IEDs create new challenges, for example, in that they are often installed off-road and in hard-to-reach places that can only be reached on foot. The Buffalo platform, originally manufactured by Force Protection Industries (now part of General Dynamics Land Systems), allows the mine clearance / clearance team to identify and neutralize IEDs protected by armor. The Buffalo has a very high ground clearance and a V-shaped housing for protection against explosion. The armored cabin has large windows so that crew members, from 4 to 6 people, better control the situation and identify possible threats. The machine also has an 9 meter-long arm controlled from the cab with various attachments, which is used to excavate construction debris that can hide the IED, to determine the type of device using a video camera installed on the manipulator, and to dig or extract a mine or IED. Six countries operate the Buffalo platform, including the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Pakistan.
Buffalo’s unique capabilities were also implemented on other machines of the MRAP category (with increased protection against mines and improvised explosive devices) due to the installation of similar manipulator arms on them. Manipulators are also further developed by the addition of various sensors, including chromatographic detectors, thermal imaging cameras, electromagnetic radiation sensors and other technologies that help better recognize suspicious objects.
VCA jamming
The advent of radio-controlled VCA (VCA), often undermined with a simple mobile phone, created a new problem. These VCA can be detonated remotely at the command of the operator, who can choose the moment of detonation of the device. This makes them more effective, because you can choose a specific goal and it is more difficult to counter. To neutralize the RSVU and other remotely controlled devices, signal silencers were adopted. An MBDA spokesman said that "the experience of the French army in Afghanistan and Mali has shown that the use of a silencer is important for the survival and effectiveness of the route clearing group."
Most of the RSVU silencers are installed on vehicles. The U.S. Army operates the SRCTec Duke V3, and the Harris Marine Corps (CREW Vehicle Receiver Jammer) system from Harris. AT Communications' modular STARV 740 jamming system, designed to protect transport columns, automatically randomly scans frequency bands, identifies and suppresses the signal. Such systems consume a lot of energy and weigh from 50 to 70 kg.
For a dismounted soldier, light weight and low power consumption are critical factors. In the USA, the THOR III portable backpack system was developed and deployed. Complete jamming of frequencies is provided by three separate blocks. Its further development is the ICREW system, which has further expanded the protected ranges and capabilities. Ideally, it is necessary to have several such systems to create a protective dome in which the group could work safely.
Robotic mine systems
To create autonomous systems that are currently appearing on the market, either existing machines are used, which are equipped with subsystems for autonomous navigation and driving, or specially designed land-based robotic systems (SRTK). The US Army operates its AMDS system, which has three modules deployed as needed on a remotely controlled robot MTRS (Man Transportable Robotic System). Supplied by Carnegie Robotics, they include a mine detection and marking module, an explosives detection and marking module, and a neutralization module.
Since 2015, Russia has also been armed with the Uran-6 SRTK developed by 766 UPTK, which the Russian military has widely used in Syria. This multifunctional system weighing 6000 kg can be equipped with a variety of tools, including a dozer blade, a manipulator arm, a milling cutter, a roller trawl, a gantry trawl and a gripper with a 1000 kg capacity. One operator controls Uranus using four video cameras and a radio control system with a range of one kilometer. The American company HDT has successfully demonstrated its Protector robot with a lively trawl. Devices under the blows of this minitral are more likely to break apart than detonate. In addition to specialized robotic systems, explosive ordnance disposal robots, which are also able to identify and neutralize single threats, are becoming more common.
Information