Keiler NG armoured mine clearing vehicle

Keiler NG at Eurosatory 2024

The German company Rheinmetall has developed and presented a new armored mine clearing vehicle Keiler NG. It is built on a modern chassis with high performance and is equipped with a set of means for combating mines. A new approach to the selection of equipment has provided an increase in all the main characteristics and has given advantages over the BMR of the previous generation.

A modern solution

In the late nineties, the Bundeswehr received 24 armored mine-clearing vehicles of the Keiler type (Vepr). This equipment was manufactured on the basis of decommissioned medium tanks M48 Patton of American manufacture. The tanks lost unnecessary units and received a combat trawl.

Over the past time, many complaints have accumulated about the Vepr. It is criticized for insufficient protection, the lack of self-defense means, the presence of only one trawl and the low efficiency of this device.

Recently, Rheinmetall Defence took the initiative to develop a new BMR, which would initially be free of the shortcomings of its predecessor. The project was named Keiler Next Generation or Keiler NG.

New BMR at the training ground

The promising BMR was first presented to specialists and the general public in June at the Eurosatory 2024 exhibition. A prototype of Vepr-NG with all the necessary equipment was shown at an open site. Some technical information was also disclosed.

In mid-August, Rheinmetall-Defense demonstrated its new BMR at the Bergen-Hohne training ground. About 100 military personnel and officials from Germany and other countries were invited to the event. They were able to personally see the main features and capabilities of the promising model.

The experimental Keiler NG BMR demonstrated its high mobility and maneuverability on the ground and rough terrain. It also cleared a passage in a conventional minefield using a standard knife trawl and an electromagnetic attachment. However, the most spectacular episode was the use of an extended charge, which destroyed the mines with an explosion.

The developer hopes that visitors to the recent event have become interested in the new BMR. This interest could lead to real orders for construction and delivery of equipment. However, these hopes have not been fulfilled so far - no information about such orders has been received in recent months.

Modular design

Rheinmetall took a modular approach to the Keiler NG project. It took several off-the-shelf components and products, modified them, and assembled them into a single unit. The result was an engineering armored vehicle with expanded capabilities.

The Keiler NG is based on the AEV 3 Kodiak engineering vehicle, also developed by Rheinmetall. The chassis of this vehicle is built on the chassis of the Leopard 2 main battle tank.

The Kodiak/Keiler NG hull is a rebuilt tank hull. It is welded from armor plates and provides protection against bullets and small-caliber projectiles. Add-on protection modules are mounted on top of the armor. A large cabin was built on top of the standard hull, with space for special equipment in the bow. Inside the hull is a crew of two.

The rear part of the chassis retains the MTU 873 Ka-501 tank diesel engine with a capacity of 1500 hp and the Renk HSWL 354 automatic transmission. The chassis includes seven pairs of road wheels with torsion bar suspension. The Kodiak and Keiler NG vehicles can reach speeds of over 65 km/h on the road.

The Vepr's bow is equipped with a Route Opening Mine Plough (ROMP) anti-mine trawl manufactured by the British company Pearson Engineering. The trawl is V-shaped and equipped with longitudinal blades. Outrigger skis are provided for stabilization during movement. If necessary, the trawl can be replaced with a simple bulldozer blade.

ROMP trawl close-up

The ROMP trawl is supplemented with an electromagnetic attachment. Several of its emitters in characteristic cylindrical housings are placed on the trawl blades.

While moving, the armored vehicle carries out continuous trawling of a strip about 4 m wide. The trawl plows the soil to a specified depth and, using knives, extracts explosive devices from it or causes them to detonate. The blades throw the soil and extracted objects to the sides. At the same time, the electromagnetic attachment causes the detonation of mines with a magnetic target sensor. When clearing mines, the Keiler NG moves at a speed of no more than 15 km/h.

The stern of the hull houses a launcher and two boxes for extended Plofadder charges from Rheinmetall Denel. The charge is 160 m long and clears a minefield up to 8-9 m wide. The charge is laid on the minefield rocket-tow truck.

In the bow of the hull, as in the AEV 3, there is a crane. It is intended for handling cargo, loading ammunition for the Plofadder system or for replacing the lowboy with a blade.

Unlike its predecessor, the new Vepr has self-defense capabilities. It received a remotely controlled Natter combat module with a large-caliber machine gun. It also has a set of ROSY-type smoke grenade launchers.

Launch of extended charge

All of the Keiler NG's target equipment is designed as modules for installation on the base chassis. Rheinmetall claims that this means that any AEV 3 IMR can be converted into a Keiler NG.

A complex approach

The developer proudly presents its new armored mine clearing vehicle Keiler NG, and the praise for it is not without reason. This product really has a number of significant advantages over the previous generation of equipment.

The main advantage of the Keiler NG is its overall novelty. The BMR is built on a modern chassis using a lowboy of one of the latest models and an extended charge. The novelty of the components gives it a significant resource. In addition, the operation of this equipment is simplified in armies equipped with Leopard 2 tanks or vehicles based on them.

The hull with the cabin borrowed from the Kodiak surpasses the M48 tank design in terms of protection. It is additionally reinforced with add-on modules, which increases the safety of the crew and the survivability of the vehicle. The advantages in terms of the power plant and chassis are also obvious.

Unlike the previous "Kailer" from the nineties, the new BMR is equipped with several demining tools at once. A given strip can be cleared using a knife trawl and an electromagnetic attachment or an extended charge. Depending on the situation and need, the crew can choose the most effective method. The previous "Kailer" model had only a striker trawl, the effectiveness of which was questionable.

Detonation of an extended charge

Measures have been taken to ensure self-defense. In case of a threat, the crew of the new Vepr can shoot smoke grenades and/or open fire. At the same time, the DUBM allows the crew to fire without leaving the protected volume of the hull.

Thus, the Keiler NG project has succeeded in creating a modern BMR with high performance characteristics. It compares favourably with the previous German vehicle of this class and should be of interest to the Bundeswehr.

However, a comparison with foreign equipment will yield more modest results. The Keiler NG is similar in design and capabilities to other modern models of its class, such as the Russian BMR-3M. Both vehicles are equipped with mechanical and electromagnetic trawls and are capable of effectively combating the mine threat.

The only significant difference of the German Keiler NG is the presence of its own means for launching an extended charge. However, the necessity of such weapons and the possibility of their safe use raise fair doubts.

Pending orders

The main goal of the Keiler NG project was to create a modern BMR that would surpass the existing equipment of the German army. This task was successfully accomplished, and Rheinmetall Defence developed a vehicle with characteristics on par with existing foreign models, as well as with some of its own features.

The Keiler NG will undergo testing in the near future and will probably confirm its estimated capabilities. By that time, Rheinmetall Defence may receive the first orders for the production and delivery of new equipment or upgrade kits for other armored vehicles. Time will tell how soon the orders will come in and which countries will place them.