In regions with dense, quickly growing vegetation, area preparation is the first task of a demining operation. The HD R&D Program has developed several technologies, specific to vegetation types and terrain profiles, to remove vegetation and prepare minefields for mine clearance.

BADGER

Badger, an intermediate area preparation system, is a medium class excavator that can cut vegetation, dig and process contaminated soil, and prepare suspect area for demining operations using a suite of commercial excavator tools. BADGER’s reach-in capability allows the machine to travel in cleared area and operate tools inside suspect area.

RAPTOR

The Raptor, a commercial reverse station Fendt farm chassis, has been armored for use as a mine clearance tractor. A suite of commercial and specialized attachments, including cutter, grapnel bucket, chisel plow, cultivator, power harrow, magnet, rotary mine comb, roller, and rock bucket, provide a "tool box" approach to area reduction and preparation.

UNI-DISK

The Uni-Disk is a commercial excavator, modified with armor and various attachments used to clear heavily vegetated, wooded, and hard-to-reach areas such as those along bridges, roadsides, and embankments. The attachments include a vegetation clearing Shinn cutter, a commercial off-the-shelf Rotar sifting bucket, and a standard bucket for use in general construction activities.

PARTNERS: Thailand Mine Action Center

PECO CUTTER

A commercially available brush cutter, the Peco Cutter has a 120 cm cutting width that can handle light to medium vegetation. With tracks for steering ability and traction, the Peco Cutter's low weight and small size make it easy to transport and support. The Peco Cutter is controlled by a standardized remote control system.

PARTNERS: Thailand Mine Action Center

MULTI-TOOLED EXCAVATOR/ATTACHMENTS

Providing reach-in capability for safe operations with manned equipment, Multi-Tooled Excavators offer highly flexible platforms from which operators can conduct ground preparation and specialized mine clearing processes. The combination of tools for sifting, shredding, and combined function excavation and sifting, is tailored to suit local conditions and demining requirements. The attachments can be fitted to the demining organization’s own armored excavator.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Afghanistan, Mines Advisory Group - Iraq, Cambodia Mine Action Center, Chilean National Demining Commission

NEMESIS

Nemesis is a remotely-operated system designed to detect, discriminate, and eradicate anti-personnel and anti-tank landmines. The base platform, a mobile, rubber-tracked skid-steer loader, provides a remote base to conduct demining missions. The detection system is comprised of an electromagnetic induction metal detector array combined with a ground penetrating synthetic aperture radar array that is capable of detecting both low-metal anti-personnel and anti-tank landmines. The neutralization system utilizes the propellant torch system, which is a very high temperature flare designed to penetrate the mine case and neutralize the main explosive charge by deflagration.

TEMPEST

The Tempest is an affordable, remote-controlled, multi-purpose mechanical system capable of clearing medium vegetation, reducing metal debris, eliminating tripwires, and engaging the ground to initiate landmines in anti-personnel minefields. It uses an interchangeable cutting flail and slasher to clear vegetation, and a ground engagement flail to prepare the land for manual demining. Integrated and independent magnet arrays are added to remove metallic debris from the soil's surface, reducing the false alarms of follow-on detection technologies.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia, Thailand Mine Action Center, National Demining Center of Ecuador

MANTIS

Mantis is a modified John Deere farm tractor capable of operating a number of specialized attachments used in mine action. The attachments include anti-personnel mine roller, vegetation cutter, magnet, plow, rake, sifter, and standard front loader attachments. The tractor's cab and engine compartment are armored to provide protection for the operator. Mantis has been fitted with antipersonnel mine survivable SETCO tires and an innovative wheel hub that allows the wheel to separate from the axle in the event of an anti-tank mine detonation.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Afghanistan

NEMESIS M3

The U.S. Army Nemesis M3 is a mechanical clearance and area preparation tool from which humanitarian or force protection demining operations can be safely and efficiently conducted. Nemesis is comprised of modular hardware elements including the robotic vehicle, navigation and positioning subsystem, and clearance tools. A Modular Robotic Control System provides independent command and control of the demining payloads such as ordnance clearing or area preparation tools.

SURVIVABLE DEMINING TRACTOR & TOOLS

The Survivable Demining Tractor & Tools (SDTT) is one of the first success stories of the Humanitarian Demining R&D Program. The modified commercial tractor, fitted with armor plating and optional steel wheels, uses specialized implements to clear heavily vegetated areas and to support demining operations ranging from area preparation to quality assurance. The tools include heavy vegetation cutters, cultivators, rear-mounted slasher, front loader with rake, roller, magnet, and tree extractor capable of pulling trees 20 centimeters in diameter from the soil. 

PARTNERS: Thailand Mine Action Center

MAXX

MAXX is a small, remote-controlled, modified commercial off-the-shelf mini-excavator designed as a ground preparation tool for mine action programs. MAXX is able to access hard to reach areas including ditches, culverts and treetops using the vegetation mulching, vegetation cutting and soil sifting attachments. The mulching attachment can cut vegetation up to 20 millimeter in diameter without disturbing the soil or the landmines that may be present. The survivability of the system is greatly improved by the standoff between the chassis and the tool attachment.

PARTNERS: National Mine Action Coordination Centre of Guinea Bissau

STORM

The Severe Terrain Off-Road Menzi Muck, or STORM, is a commercial excavator designed to remove vegetation in rough and steep terrain. Its four spider-like legs allow the excavator to work on slopes of up to 70 degrees and maneuver around obstacles with ease. Dual hydraulic pumps enable it to use a wide variety of commercial attachments, including a unique cutting head that can cut trees up to 20 centimeters in diameter. Additionally, the system's hydraulic lines are designed to shut off flow to the ruptured circuit in the event of a mine blast.

IMPROVED BACKHOE

The Improved Backhoe is a modified commercial backhoe that incorporates a variety of commercial off-the-shelf attachments used for vegetation reduction and soil sifting in mine suspect areas. The vehicle has been modified by armoring the cab and chassis, and adding blast proof SETCO tires capable of withstanding multiple anti-personnel mine detonations. Among the attachments, the Rotar sifting bucket can safely collect, sift, and separate mines and other debris from mine suspected soil.

PARTNERS: Yemen Executive Mine Action Center

MAXX PLUS

MAXX Plus is a small, remote-controlled, excavator-based mechanical system that clears medium vegetation in various environments. MAXX Plus is the newest design, consisting of a commercial excavator-based platform, and several commercial-off-the-shelf vegetation clearing and soil sifting attachments. These interchangeable attachments include mulcher, sifting fork, rotar bucket, and standard construction style bucket. A five meter rotating articulating arm provides "reach-in" capability, allowing the system to operate from previously cleared areas, reducing the risk of damage if a mine is detonated.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia

BEAVER

The Beaver is a small, remote controlled vegetation clearance system. It consists of a diesel-powered, tracked vehicle with several attachments and an operator's control vehicle that protects the operator. Attachments include vegetation cutter, electro-magnet, excavating bucket, debris blower, and pneumatic excavator. The Beaver's tracked chassis is designed to operate in difficult terrain and is armored for protection against anti-personnel mine detonations.

PARTNERS: Thailand Mine Action Center