Equipment, tools and devices for manual demining.
Petrenko Evgeny Sergeevich
EQUIPMENT, TOOLS AND DEVICES FOR MANUAL DEMINING
Various tools, devices and improvised materials can be used to perform work on searching for and rendering harmless explosive objects (EOD).
Demining kits have become quite widespread, the most famous of which are KR-I, KR-O, KR-95, KR-97 “Blesna”.
Narrowly specialized tool kits for working with explosive reactive equipment have become widespread abroad (photo 1).
Photo 1. A set of tools for searching and rendering harmless explosive ordnance in Mk 2 vehicles (Great Britain)
The practice of performing work in Russian conditions has currently shown that none of the specified sets can be considered universal for the entire territory of Russia. Unfortunately, the specifics of performing work in a particular region put forward their own requirements for the composition of the set.
In particular, in the western regions of Russia, a significant part of explosive ordnance is made up of ammunition left over from the Great Patriotic War.
In the eastern regions of the country, such a class of explosive ordnance is naturally absent.
In the southern regions, explosive ordnance is represented by modern unexploded artillery and aviation munitions, modern engineer mines and improvised explosive devices (including tripwire grenades and devices with activated electronic and electromechanical fuses).
In northern regions with relatively low average annual air temperatures, the bulk of explosive ordnance, especially in winter, consists of hand grenades and explosive devices with mechanical fuses. In populated areas, with the exception of southern regions, fuses with tension target sensors are rarely used.
In this regard, it seems advisable for each region to have its own set of tools, taking into account the specifics of the tasks in a given region, the staff of the demining unit and its qualifications, the demining kits already available, special tools and devices, and current financial capabilities.
The following equipment could form the basis of a demining kit for the central regions of Russia:
1. Special demining grappling hook – 3 … 4 pcs.
2. Lightweight non-magnetic folding shovel with probe – 1 … 2 pcs.
3. Portable selective metal detector type mod. 7215A with rod – 1 pc.
4. Telescopic fishing rod up to 6 m long with inertialess reel – 1 pc.
5. Probe – 1 pc.
6. Deminer’s unloading vest – 1 … 2 pcs.
7. Nylon cords Zh 3 .. 6 mm (35 and 50 m) – 1 set.
8. Nylon cord Zh 0.2 … 0.8 mm – 20 m.
9. Polyethylene bags and earth-bearing paper bags – 1 set.
10. Instructions on methods and means of destruction of explosive ordnance and localization of damaging factors of explosion – 1 pc.
11. Case for blasting agents – 1 pc.
12. Bag for carrying explosives – 1 pc.
13. Utility knife – 1 pc.
14. Insulating tape – 1 roll.
15. Double-sided adhesive tape – 1 roll.
16. Flashlight – 1 pc.
17. Nippers – 1 pc.
18. Pliers – 1 pc.
19. Universal screwdriver – 1 pc.
20. Flags – 1 set.
21. Tape for fencing the work area 1 set.
22. PM-4 blasting machine – 1 pc.
23. SPP-2 wire blasting line – 500 m.
24. Storage box for demining kit 1 pc.
Naturally, the given demining kit is an addition to special means of searching for and defusing explosive devices and can be used separately from them only in certain cases.
It seems appropriate to explain the purpose and features of using some items from this kit.
The standard four-legged crampons from the KR-I (KR-O) kits have a number of shortcomings that significantly limit the possibilities of their use.
In particular, these cats are characterized by low reliability of minesweeping with tension target sensors and, especially, mines of the POM-2 type with scattered target sensors on the road surface (asphalt concrete, crushed stone and compacted icy) and on the floor in rooms (parquet, linoleum, carpet).
When minesweeping in bush and sparse forest conditions, cases of complete or partial anchoring of the cat are quite common, leading, accordingly, to its irretrievable loss or to the formation of unswept areas of the terrain due to the jumps of the cat, caused by the elasticity of the cord.
In addition, the casting range of such a grappling hook by hand does not exceed 14 … 18 m.
To eliminate these shortcomings and significantly increase the reliability of minesweeping, and, above all, mines with scattered target sensors, on various underlying surfaces, special sapper grappling hooks of an original design with calibrated grooves or protrusions have been developed.
One of the design options for such grappling hooks is shown in photo 2.
Photo 2. Special sapper grappling hook
The range of the grappling hook cast by hand from a “standing” position increases to 18 … 40 m depending on the operator’s physical abilities, the level of his preliminary training in performing this operation, the type and quality of laying the traction cord on the ground surface.
When using a spinning rod (telescopic fishing rod), the casting range is 25 … 35 m.
When casting a cat from the kneeling and lying positions using a spinning rod, the casting range is not reduced as much as when attempting to cast directly by hand, and is 8 … 22 m.
In addition, a spinning rod expands the possibilities for searching for and defusing explosive devices when a probe is placed on it (for searching for objects in the ground) and a source of high-temperature gases such as a flare (for burning out tripwires on a low-melting non-metallic base).
The use of other, more powerful means of throwing a grappling hook as part of a set seems inappropriate for a number of reasons.
With a throwing range of more than 35 … 40 m, precise access to a passage-path free of tripwires and sufficiently precise alignment of minesweeping zones in a sector of 7 15 degrees with a sequential execution of at least two or three cycles become problematic.
This number of trawling cycles from one point is a mandatory condition for ensuring a sufficiently high reliability of making a passage-path.
In addition, any additional equipment causes a corresponding increase in the weight and dimensions of the kit, and in some cases, for example, when using pneumatic linethrowers, it is also necessary to create a corresponding supply service for compressed gas and high-pressure vessels.
The probability (reliability) of mine (grenades) sweeping with a target tension sensor depends on the type of underlying surface, the type of tripwire, its height above the ground surface and the design of the grappling hook.
The value of this parameter in a single trawling cycle for a special sapper cat is from 0.45 (for relatively unfavorable conditions) to 0.97 (for the most favorable conditions).
For comparison, the probability of minesweeping with tripwires placed at the level of the underlying surface without elevation (asphalt concrete, crushed stone and compacted icy road surfaces, floors in buildings, etc.), as well as minesweeping in bush and sparse forest conditions using a standard four-legged grappling hook in some cases does not exceed 0.1 … 0.15.
When minesweeping with a wire or tripwire installed with an elevation of 0.03 … 0.15 m above the underlying surface, and in the absence of vegetation, the probability of minesweeping practically does not change and is 0.85 … 0.97 with a significantly greater casting range.
The portable selective metal detector type mod. 7215A with a rod can in some cases be effectively used for direct search of mines and other explosive ordnance.
But basically its presence in the set is due to the need for joint use with a specialized mine detector type «Medusa» when searching for and defusing groups of anti-personnel mines installed in an unconventional scheme in close proximity to each other, which has recently become increasingly widespread in order to make the work of sappers as difficult as possible.
To effectively use a telescopic fishing rod when working with a VOP, both regular fishing hooks (treble hooks) of a large size and hooks with a separate point to prevent strong snags on the fabric elements of the objects being examined are required.
In addition, it is advisable to use wooden or plastic crampons with the fishing rod, which can be made independently and which are advisable to use for placement on suspicious objects for the purpose of their subsequent remote movement from the place (overturning).
The need to use such crampons in this situation, and not the standard four-legged ones, is due, on the one hand, to the safety of working with detonators with a magnetic target sensor, and on the other hand, the absence of secondary lethal fragments in the event of a possible detonation of an explosive device, for example, if it contains an element of non-removability.
In general, the telescopic rod significantly increases the operator's safety, especially when working in a sapper's protective suit, due to the activation of the distance protection effect, which significantly reduces the damaging effects of detonation products, shock waves and diverging fragmentation flows.
Polyethylene bags and earth-carrying paper bags, when filled with sand, slag, earth without stone or metal inclusions, make it possible to effectively solve the problem of localizing the damaging factors of explosions of fragmentation, high-explosive fragmentation, high-explosive and incendiary charges of various types of explosive devices and other explosive devices.
In some cases, the placement of such explosion localizers near explosive devices is possible by dragging them from behind cover using the cords included in the kit.
Thin nylon cord, electrical tape and double-sided adhesive tape can be used when placing short-range destroyers near explosive devices, especially when it is necessary to place the latter at a certain height above the ground.
The purpose of the remaining items in the kit is obvious.
The unit using this kit must additionally equip it with standard blasting equipment and explosive charges. Once again, I would like to emphasize that a self-provided demining kit can only be used in a limited number of cases.
It should mainly be used together with other special equipment for searching and neutralizing explosive devices, which will ensure maximum efficiency and safety of the work.