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DRDO contrives vehicle that can withstand landmine explosions
Soon, a device to clear soldiers' path
Soldier's serving in insurgency-hit areas can take comfort from this particular contraption. The Defence Research Development Organization's (DRDO) Research and Development Engineers (RnDE) laboratory at Dighi have excogitated a vehicle that can withstand landmine explosions.
lifesaver: The Counter-Mine Flail that promises to make a safe path
for soldiers. Pic source/www.bharat-
Called Counter-Mine Flail, S Guruprasad, the director of RnDE, said the machine was based on the British Army's Aardvark. "It is a huge vehicle with rotating iron chains tipped with heavy concentrated iron lugs. The chains are rotated at extremely high speeds and the lugs hit the ground with great force. The vehicle is not damaged when the landmines explode. The main vehicle has a specially designed armour to withstand high-intensity blasts," Guruprasad said.
Another senior scientist UR Gautam explained that the machine would work as a 'path clearer' for soldiers walking on roads littered with landmines. "Landmines cannot be quickly detected with the naked eye and needs a metal detector. Sometimes there are time constraints when a destination has to be quickly reached and manually detecting and then diffusing the mines is not possible," Gautam said. "With the flail, troops can just wait behind or follow the main vehicle while the vehicle passes over the ground and the rotating chains pound the surface exploding the mines underneath. The lugs will trigger the mines."
Developed two years ago, the Flail is still under development and being perfected with several modifications.
Scientists have also tested the machine a couple of times in and around tracks in the city and are quite satisfied with the performance. Asked if the armed forces had evinced interest, Gautam said user trials were yet to take place and until then, formal induction could not happen. "Defence services have stringent performance parameters and we need to meet all of them. As of now, we are only incorporating modifications in the design for improvement," he said.
Soon, a device to clear soldiers' path
Soldier's serving in insurgency-hit areas can take comfort from this particular contraption. The Defence Research Development Organization's (DRDO) Research and Development Engineers (RnDE) laboratory at Dighi have excogitated a vehicle that can withstand landmine explosions.
lifesaver: The Counter-Mine Flail that promises to make a safe path
for soldiers. Pic source/www.bharat-
Called Counter-Mine Flail, S Guruprasad, the director of RnDE, said the machine was based on the British Army's Aardvark. "It is a huge vehicle with rotating iron chains tipped with heavy concentrated iron lugs. The chains are rotated at extremely high speeds and the lugs hit the ground with great force. The vehicle is not damaged when the landmines explode. The main vehicle has a specially designed armour to withstand high-intensity blasts," Guruprasad said.
Another senior scientist UR Gautam explained that the machine would work as a 'path clearer' for soldiers walking on roads littered with landmines. "Landmines cannot be quickly detected with the naked eye and needs a metal detector. Sometimes there are time constraints when a destination has to be quickly reached and manually detecting and then diffusing the mines is not possible," Gautam said. "With the flail, troops can just wait behind or follow the main vehicle while the vehicle passes over the ground and the rotating chains pound the surface exploding the mines underneath. The lugs will trigger the mines."
Developed two years ago, the Flail is still under development and being perfected with several modifications.
Scientists have also tested the machine a couple of times in and around tracks in the city and are quite satisfied with the performance. Asked if the armed forces had evinced interest, Gautam said user trials were yet to take place and until then, formal induction could not happen. "Defence services have stringent performance parameters and we need to meet all of them. As of now, we are only incorporating modifications in the design for improvement," he said.
