The Army already has an effective mine-clearing weapon—the M58 MICLIC rocket—but will use the drone to reduce the need for a human presence along the front lines.
There remains an urban legend that during World War I, sheep were driven across landmines, either for military purposes or as a cruel form of entertainment. Even after the guns fell silent, mines remained a problem, especially in parts of France and Belgium, for decades. Even today, more than a century later, there are still sections of the former front line that are filled with unexploded shells, grenades, and mines.
In the century that has followed, numerous methods have been used to clear minefields. Later this month, the US Army will explore how an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) resembling a small tank could be integrated with the M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC).
The US Army’s 36th Engineering Brigade will integrate the UGV during the upcoming Machine-Assisted Rugged Soldier (MARS) autonomous breaching demonstration at Fort Hood, Texas.
What to Know About DARPA’s “RACER” Minesweeper Drone
The M58 MICLIC will be paired with the RACER (Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency) Heavy Platform developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the research and development wing of the Department of Defense (DoD). According to DARPA, the RACER Heavy Platform is a “12-ton, 20-foot-long, skid-steer tracked vehicle,” based on the Textron M5 “Ripsaw” vehicle, and designed to cross rugged terrain.
Testing of the platform first began in 2023, and the upcoming tests will be the first use of the UGV in a minefield breaching role. The 12-ton autonomous vehicle will tow the M58 MICLIC to an active mine field where it can be employed to clear lanes up to 100 meters (110 yards) in length.
The UGV can follow set waypoints for its navigation, but it can also be operated remotely via a videogame-style controller. According to a report from international military analyst firm Janes, soldiers from the unit “have been rehearsing” since the start of the month.
“You have to make some adjustments to the parameters of the control of the vehicle so that you don’t flip the vehicle, flip the trailer over,” Stuart Young, DARPA program manager for RACER, told Janes.
The M58 MICLIC Is Used to Blow Up Old Landmines
Although it is the RACER Heavy Platform that will do the driving/pulling towards or even through a minefield, the M58 MICLIC is what will actually clear the path. The MICLIC employs multiple systems, including a rocket-propelled explosive charge. It can be fired from an Mk 155 launcher mounted to an M200A1 trailer.
Each M58 linear demolition charge consists of three 100-foot sections and a single 50-foot section, containing a total of 700 C4 block charges. It can be propelled over a known or suspected minefield and then detonated via a command wire. Between the explosion and the shockwaves, the charge can clear a vehicle-wide safe lane through a minefield approximately eight meters (8.75 yards) wide.
In addition to being fired from the Mk 155 launcher, it can also be fired from the M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle. The goal of the MARS program is to determine how the M58 MICLIC can be deployed to the front lines without putting human operators in the line of sight.
The US Army’s MARS program is one of several efforts underway, including the British Army’s WEEVIL robotic plow and Russia’s BMR-3MA, to clear mines.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
.jpg){kind=link}