228.Charge Line Mine Clearing Equipment

bhramos

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DRDO has developed two types of mine clearing equipments, namely, Charge Line Mine Clearing (Vehicles) (CLMC (V)) and Charge Line Mine Clearing (Personnel) (CLMC (P)).

CLMC (V)

This equipment has been developed to clear pressure-sensitive antitank mines in a mine field and to create a safe lane of 300 m length and 6 m width for the tank movement. The equipment consists of an explosive line charge which is projected onto the mine field with the help of rocket cluster. The equipment is mounted on a trailer which is capable of being towed by a tank. The line charge is straightened in fight with the help of parachutes. An initiator is fixed at the rear end of the explosive hose which detonates the explosive alter a delay of 10 s on landing. The blast generated on detonation actuates the pressure-susceptible antitank mines. The item is under production for the Services.

CLMC (P)

This equipment is developed to clear antipersonnel mines in the mine field to create a 180 m long and 0.5 m wide path. The equipment consists of an explosive filled hose and a rocket motor to project the hose onto the mine field. A parachute connected to the rear end of the hose helps to keep the hose straight white landing on ground. It also consists of two initiators each fixed at front and rear ends of the hose. The initiators function after a delay of about 8 s after landing and detonate the explosive. The blast generated on detonation, actuates the pressure-sensitive antipersonnel mines. The equipment can be used in the assault stage of an attack operation to providing safe lanes to infantry. If safe lanes are not possible to be made during assault stage due to tactical reasons. The equipment can be used in the reorganization stage for making safe lanes. The equipment has already been introduced into the Services.



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Ray

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Charge Line Mine Clearing is as ancient as WW II.

We have been using CLMC and the Giant Viper for ages.

The Giant Viper was developed for the British Army in the 1950s. It was designed to be towed behind a Centurion gun tank, FV4003, AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers).

It uses rockets to launch a 250-metre-long hose, packed with plastic explosive, across a minefield.

Once fallen the charge is detonated, clearing a six-metre-wide path through anti-personnel or anti-tank mines over a distance of around 200 metres, by sympathetic detonation.

This system has been superseded by the Python, employing the same clearance methodology, but using more modern components. It improves accuracy of delivery, deployment speed, and the size of the cleared path, which is now 230 metres long and 7"¯meters wide. Python was designed to be towed behind an AVRE.


The critical issue is mine clearance just before the assault so that there is a safe passage through the minefield. There is no device that can do so since use of any explosive assisted mine clearance will give away the attack and the axis of attack.

Tanks can use trawls, but their noise gives away the game. Hence, even in an Infantry Armour attack, Infantry has to go in first.

It can also be simultaneous from two different axes, but the surprise is lost.

CLMC is ideal for minefield safe lanes once the attack is over and the troops have consolidated on the objective. The F echelon can then fetch up through these safe lanes, as also the further phases troops can pass through unhindered.
 
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Ray

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The problem with the CLMC is that if there is uneven ground, the area where the hose does not touch the ground, depending on the 'dip', the mines below the surface do not get detonated!

Even so, it is an useful item for mine clearance.

It is good that the indigenous stuff has been made, though it is incorrect to feel it has been 'developed' by the DRDO.
 

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