It is generally accepted that flails offer best hope although they disturb top soil and create clouds of dust. Flails are also very good at removing vegetation, saplings, and even small diameter trees. Therefore, flails are attracting maximum R&D funding. Major efforts are being made to improve their performance by understanding the effects of configuration of hammers and their geometry. Rollers, on the other hand, can be most effective in the early stages of humanitarian operations to allow the establishment of supply routes.
However, a great deal of research is yet to be carried out to fully understand soil behaviour under stress of flails, tillers and rollers as that causes shifting of mines and affects their subsequent destruction. Even the relationship of speed and direction of rotation to demining effectiveness is yet to be conclusively established. Reduction of skipped zones and minimising of throw-outs are twin challenges which all demining machine designers are facing. Efforts are also being made to counter limitations imposed by foliage and vegetation.
Need for Multi-Purpose Demining Systems (MPDS)
In addition to mine breaching during war, militaries have to be prepared to undertake demining during peacetimes. One option is to have separate custom-made systems for each activity for optimum performance. But that would involve huge costs and multiple inventory as separate sets of machines would be needed for demining in different contexts.
A more cost-effective and prudent option could be to have multi-purpose machines which are versatile enough to perform demining functions in all contingencies. The following major benefits will accrue:-
- Huge Savings in Costs. Demining systems are complex and come with a very high price tag. MPDS could be held as reserves for war while utilising them for humanitarian demining. These could be either be used by own troops under the aegis of UN demining programmes or could even be leased out to demining NGOs. Inventory management will also be easy.
- Enhanced Operational Readiness. Operational readiness depends on having equipment in functional order at all times. If MPDS are employed for humanitarian demining, they need not be mothballed during peacetimes. Additionally, sustained usage of equipment in live mine conditions will generate inputs for updating repair and spares support. Performance parameters will also get validated.
- Optimum Utilisation of Equipment During its Life Cycle. Military demining equipment is used only during hostilities. Equipment bought by India in the wake of 1971 war became obsolete without having been put to any operational use. It got wasted out practising mine breaching in dummy minefields during training exercises.
- Realistic On-the-Job Training. Due to inherent risks involved, it is well nigh impossible to provide adequate realistic training to demining parties during peacetimes. Actual mine fields cannot be duplicated in training exercises. Operators never get sufficient opportunity to get familiar with their machines to develop confidence in their reliability and performance. Their training is limited to driving their machines in training areas. Employment on humanitarian demining will provide on-the-job realistic training to demining parties.
Recommended Parameters of Proposed MPDS
It should be a stand alone system. It should not be an attachment to an armoured vehicle or any other fighting vehicle, lest its use during peacetimes depletes fighting resources and reduces war potential.
Adequate safety should be provided to the operators from bursting mines, both anti-personnel and anti-tank, and observed enemy small arms fire. The system should also be capable of withstanding blasts of up to 12 Kg explosive content without suffering major damage. Quick replacement of damaged parts in field should pose no problems. Driver’s cabin should be comfortable enough for sustained effort over prolonged periods.
As of now no single mechanical mine clearance technology can clear mines under diverse terrain and environmental conditions, although development of versatile mine clearance machines, incorporating multiple mechanisms, is becoming a distinct reality. It is time India opts for multiple-use mine clearance systems for better efficiency and economy.
It should provide required mine clearance assurance with facility to vary degree of assurance by controlling speed and depth of strikes. Military operations require speed, whereas during post-operations mine clearance and humanitarian demining safety is of utmost importance. However, further proofing by supplementary means will invariably be required for area clearance.
The machine should be able to work under varying terrain and operating conditions such as, dry/wet soil, undulating ground, extreme temperatures and excessive humidity. It should also be capable of tackling foliage and thick vegetation with minimal damage to top soil and environment.
Excellent cross-country mobility is an essential requirement to enable MPDS to keep pace with armoured columns. Additionally, it should lend itself to easy transportability for long distance movement for humanitarian demining. Operation and maintenance in field conditions should be easy. As flails kick up too much dust all filters and other sensitive instruments need to be dust-proof.
Conclusion
By its very nature, total mine clearance of any area can never be guaranteed. Many feel that mine clearance is at best a risk-reduction process. Terrain permitting, machines provide the best, the fastest and the most cost-effective option. They can be supplemented by other methods but not substituted. Therefore, machines will continue to be the primary choice. But machines have their own limitations.
The present equipment is mainly adapted from military mine breaching machines and not enough research has been carried out so far to analyse their performance related dynamics with regard to terrain. However, since the emergence of humanitarian demining as a major commitment, renewed efforts are being put in to incorporate requirements of enhanced assurance, safety and cost-effectiveness. Flails and rollers appear to have the necessary potential as viable stand-alone systems for primary clearance. But, behaviour of different soil conditions under pressure exerted by flail strikes or ground penetrating tools of tillers needs to be better understood for optimum performance.
As of now no single mechanical mine clearance technology can clear mines under diverse terrain and environmental conditions, although development of versatile mine clearance machines, incorporating multiple mechanisms, is becoming a distinct reality. It is time India opts for multiple-use mine clearance systems for better efficiency and economy.
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