Mine clearance equipment is among the most sought after technology by the international demining community. 

Varying environmental conditions, types of terrain, and the diversity of landmines encountered within mined areas present a daunting challenge to the demining community. 

The HD R&D Program has developed technologies that assist the demining community to clear mines safely and efficiently.

TRAXX

Traxx is an extremely compact, remote controlled vehicle capable of working in and around slopes of up to 60 degrees. It is equipped with a variety of commercial vegetation cutting implements and custom designed mine clearing tools. At less than 1.3 tons Traxx is easily transported to remote sites and capable of climbing and working on the most challenging hillsides. The factory equipped remote control has a working range of more than 300 meters and the 1.3 meter brush cutting attachments has demonstrated excellent capability for cutting saplings and heavy brush with little residual debris. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia; The HALO Trust - Cambodia, Ukraine

Multi-tool Attachments

The Humanitarian Demining Research and Development (HD R&D) Program has developed a wide variety of excavator and loader based tools for mechanical mine clearance. These attachments give deminers the capability to perform area preparation, technical survey and mine clearance from a safe area. Tools that have proven useful include vegetation cutters, grapples, tillers, and buckets for sifting, grinding, and crushing. The HD R&D Program has modified several small, medium and large class excavators with armor protection and the interfaces needed to use these tools in various demining environments. Operational Field Evaluations (OFE) can be performed with HD R&D Program developed excavators or loaders, or with just the tools mounted to the demining organization`s own host equipment. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group; Golden West Humanitarian Foundation; The HALO Trust

BADGER

Badger, an intermediate area preparation system, is a medium-class 13-ton excavator that can cut vegetation, dig and process contaminated soil, and prepare suspect area for demining operations using a suite of commercial excavator tools. The tools currently available include: soil sifter, brush cutters, grinding drums, grapples and digging buckets. Badger’s reach-in capability allows the machine to travel in cleared areas and operate tools inside suspect area, while its armored cab protects the operator. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia; Golden West Humanitarian Foundation - Guadalcanal (2012-2019)

MULTI-TOOLED EXCAVATOR

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. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Afghanistan; Mines Advisory Group - Iraq; Cambodia Mine Action Center (2007); Chilean National Demining Commission

REX

Remote controlled excavators are sometimes required when it is too dangerous for manual operation. The Rex is a versatile, light weight (8 ton class) armored excavator designed to clear vegetation, obstacles, and mechanically remove and neutralize anti-personnel (AP) landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The HD R&D Program developed and integrated two important modifications to the commercial Terex TC75 excavator to create the Rex. These are the addition of remote control capability, and armor protection for the operator when the system is manually operated. Small platform based system advantages are lightweight, versatile and fuel efficient. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Angola, Cambodia (2011-2014), Sri Lanka; The HALO Trust - Sri Lanka

Terrapin

The Terrapin is a small, versatile remote controlled excavator-based system designed to perform area preparation and clearance tasks in anti-personnel (AP) contaminated minefields. The Terrapins small platform based system makes it fuel efficient as well as light weight. The six ton Terrapin features several attachments which give it the capability to clear vegetation and obstacles so demining teams can access the mine suspect areas, and mechanically remove and neutralize mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Lebanon

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. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Afghanistan, Cambodia (2009-2015)

Mine Clearing Loader

The Mine Clearing Loader project is evaluating commercial construction loaders with sifting and screening attachments for mine clearance and technical survey. The protected cab shields the operator from risk of unintended mine blast during clearance operations. The system also performs significant excavation and tilling tasks for mine recovery and area preparation, as well as service tasks related to transporting mine contaminated soils and loading of mine contaminated soils into secondary processing equipment. The Humanitarian Demining R&D Program is evaluating this technology for its more efficient application over excavator based reach-in tools. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: Chilean National Demining Commission

ROTARY MINE COMB

The Rotary Mine Comb is an innovative tool capable of gently extricating buried objects from the soil and pushing them to the side of the host vehicle`s path. The comb`s two rotors each contain four soil-engaging tines that intermesh and counter-rotate as the vehicle travels forward. The tines lift and continuously nudge large objects, including anti-tank mines, from the path of the vehicle to the outside edge for neutralization without creating a large berm. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Afghanistan, Angola (2008-2013)

MANTIS

Mantis is a suite of specialized attachments used in mine action. The attachments, designed for integration onto armored farm tractor class host vehicles, include an anti-personnel mine roller, a vegetation cutter, magnet, plow, rake, sifter, and a standard front loader. 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. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Afghanistan

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. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Afghanistan

ORBIT SCREENER

The Orbital Action Screening Plant Model 68 efficiently sifts through a variety of soil types for landmines of all sizes. Material is loaded into the 1.8 cubic-yard hopper and fed into a rotating and tilted screen of appropriate size that quickly separates large and/or light items from soil. The highly portable and user friendly Orbit Screen is highly resistant to plugging with plastic, paper, sticks, and vegetation. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: Ecuador (2010); The HALO Trust - Afghanistan, The HALO Trust - Mozambique (2011-2014); Mines Advisory Group - Iraq

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. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Sri Lanka

Light Soil Sifter

The light/sandy soil sifting project is evaluating the feasibility and operational suitability of using commercial beach-cleaning technologies to remove mines and clutter from sandy and mechanically prepared soils. Demining applications envisioned for these systems are removal of mines from sandy and other light soils, raking surface soil to collect clutter, and assisting with inspection and quality assurance behind mechanical clearance equipment. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Sri Lanka

Bearcat

The Bearcat is a remote controlled, skid-steer chassis integrated with a vegetation cutter and a remote monitoring system for operation in suspect mine and UXO contaminated areas. Bearcat utilizes a completely commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), plug-and-play, remote control system, and is designed for a wide range of area preparation tasks. The system allows demining and battle area clearance teams to quickly and efficiently remove vegetation for follow-on manual clearance teams. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia; The HALO Trust - Colombia; Norwegian People`s Aid - Vietnam

Long Handle Tools

Long handled power tools increase the manual deminers speed, efficiency, and safety. To date, operational field evaluations have taken place in Cambodia, Ecuador and Angola. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Cambodia; Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia; Ecuadorian Army - Ecuador (2009-2012)

MINE CLEARING SIFTER

Mine Clearing Sifter (MCS) is a dozer mounted anti-personnel mine sifter capable of lifting and sifting mines, unexploded ordnance and minefield clutter buried to a depth of 15 cm. The system is hydraulically driven and incorporates Standen Star technology as the sifting medium. The sifter weighs approximately 5700 kg and will clear a path 280 cm wide. The mines are side cast by a cross conveyor for subsequent disposal. A Rockland Rough Service Rake has been integrated with a quick hitch mechanism for scarifying the soil prior to mine clearance operations. This action breaks up the sod and fractures the soil thus improving the sifting process. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited