New Solutions To Mine Clearing

As a squadron commander of the 11th ACR in Vietnam. the author gained a first-hand appreciation of the mine threat. He is currently a consultant to I N - M A. the Israeli firm that produces plows and counter-mine equipment. He is responding to several points in Major Lawrence Steiner‘s story, “Preparing to Breach” (Nov-Dec 92 ARMOR) -Ed.

In covering some peculiarities of the breaching equipment... the author discussed the “roller dogbone” or anti-magnetic roller. I would like to correct, clarify, and expand on some of the points made in that discussion. First, he stated that the anti-magnetic roller needed to travel at least 12 mph to operate effectively. This is incorrect, Detailed testing was conducted by the U. S. Army Belvoir Research, Development, and Engineering Center (BRDEC) and the U. S. Marine Corps prior to the purchase of the equipment and shipment to Army and Marine Corps units for Operation DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM.

... Multiple tests were conducted at 10, 7, and 4 miles per hour. AU tests resulted in 100-percent effectiveness in detonating the magnetic fuzes. The manufacturer of the device - IAI-RAMTA -claims that the device is effective at any speed, as long as the device is rolling/turning. The above-described test results are available from either the BRDEC or IAI-RAMTA.

Second, the author discussed the problem of the rolling anti-magnetic dogbone hanging too low and bouncing on the ground, even when the plow was not in use, i.e., when the plow was nised to the travel position. This may sound like a problem; however, it must be understood that the device was purposely designed this way to provide protection against magnetical ly-fuzed mines for the plow-mounted tank, even during non-plowing modes. Since scatterable mines, which are almost all magnetically fuzed, can be spread quickly and easily by artillery and helicopters, they are a significant threat to unit mobility at any time and place on the battlefield. The rolling anti-magnetic dogbone provides a capability to defeat such a threat as a unit moves around the battlefield. As the dogbone touches the ground frequently during tank movement, the device rolls and creates the magnetic field that simulates the tank and explodes the mines forward of the tank, rather than under it. I believe that tank crews appreciate this feature.

A related problem that was created with the bouncing, rolling dogbone was that the linkage would, under some circumstances, become tangled and, therefore, cause it to hang at a cocked angle. When that happened, there was a remote possibility that it would prevent one of the plow moldboards from pentetrating the ground when lowered. This problem has now been corrected Over the past year, IAI-RAMTA provided an improved version of the arms and stoppers that effectively prevents this tangling of the linkage on the rolling dogbone... Third, a next-generation anti-magnetic mine actuating device has been developed by IAI-RAMTA and is now being tested and evaluated by the U. S. Amy and USMC. This new version is mounted on the vehicle, and it does not need to roll. It is electrically Above, the IAI-FIAMTA Anti-Magnetic Mine Actuating Device (AMMAD) roller, compared with the newer on-board type, below, which resembles a headlight on the tank‘s front slope. The on-board type can be added to any vehicle to help neutralize the threat of scatterable mines. operated and can be mounted on any vehicle threatened by scatterable mines.

This on-board device weighs only about 250 pounds, looks like an additional set of headlights, is survivable in a combat environment, draws less than 20 amps on a %-volt system, does not cause electromagnetic interference with vehicle systems, and is relatively inexpensive.

It appears to be a great improvement over the VEMASID system the Army and USMC have been trying to develop for many years at great expense. ARMOR -