Gamma-activation technology for humanitarian demining.

Gamma-activation technology for humanitarian demining.

Gamma-activation technology for humanitarian demining

A.I. Karev, V.G. Raevsky, P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Yu.A. Konyaev, A.S. Rumyantsev, JSC «Almaz Central Design Bureau»
V.I. Kolesnichenko, Moscow Research Institute of Instrument Automation.

It is impossible to build a world on a mined earth.
/E.M. Primakov/

The reason for the technological crisis in solving the problem of global demining is that the existing methods of detecting explosive objects (EHO) are focused mainly on the use of manual methods of searching for EHO and, according to the main parameters: the probability of detection, the number of false alarms and the speed of response, they do not meet the requirements imposed on them.

The way out of the crisis is to use unmanned demining technology and the use of robotic EHO detection systems based on new physical principles. A new gamma-activation method for direct detection of explosives (HE) is proposed.

The method is based on the registration of specific nuclear reactions on the nuclei of nitrogen and carbon atoms — chemical elements that are part of all combat explosives.

The designed mobile complex implementing this method of searching for explosives is described, and characteristics are given demonstrating its high efficiency, productivity and compliance with UN standards.

It is shown that the use of the complex allows for the implementation of unmanned demining technology, while productivity, compared to traditional manual demining methods, increases hundreds of times with a probability of detecting explosives of at least 99.6%.

Gamma-activation technology for humanitarian demining
A.I.Karev, V.G.Raevsky, Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS
Yu.A. Konyaev, A.S.Rumyantsev, JSC “CDB Almaz”
V.I.Kolesnicheko, Moscow Research Institute of Automatic Devices.

ABSTRACT

The reason of technological crisis in the solution of the global demining problem consists in existing methods of detection of explosive subjects (ES) which are oriented, basically, to use of hand-operated technology of ES search. The main parameters of these methods: probability of detection, number of false signals and operating speed do not satisfy of qualifying standards. The way out is application of unmanned technology of the demining and robotic systems of ES detection which are based on new physical principles. The new gamma-activation method of direct detection of the explosive is offered. The method is based on registration of specific nuclear reactions on nucleuses of nitrogen and carbon atoms — chemical elements, which are main parts of all ES. The designed mobile complex realizing this method of ES detection is described. The characteristics of the complex are the result. They demonstrate high efficiency, productivity and conformity to the UN-standards. It is shown the application of the robotic complex permits to implement «non hand-operated» technology of demining. The productivity of the complex grows hundreds of times in comparison with conventional «hand-operated» methods of the demining and the probability of ES detection is not less than 99.6%.

Introduction

The 21st century has received a heavy legacy from the last century – the “mine plague”. In 70 countries of the world, ~ 120 million anti-personnel (APM) and anti-tank mines (ATM) and other explosive objects (EO).

This is the result of military and terrorist actions that humanity has carried out in the last century. Every day, 70 civilians become victims of mines in the world, every third victim is a child. In fact, every 20 minutes a person is blown up by a mine!

Territories contaminated with the «mine plague» cannot be included in economic turnover, which is essential for overpopulated countries with small territories.

These problems also apply to the territories of Russia and the CIS countries, where armed conflicts are taking place, and where mines and ammunition remain from the Great Patriotic War. Today, more than 5,400 km2 of land require demining in the territory of only 9 subjects of the Russian Federation [1].

To combat the «mine plague», political, organizational, financial, scientific and technological efforts of various international, national governmental, non-governmental and religious organizations are concentrated.

To carry out work on total demining of territories under the auspices of the UN, in 1996, the «International Standards for Conducting Mine Clearance Operations within the Framework of Humanitarian Actions under the Auspices of the UN» were developed [2].

These standards define the entire range of activities for carrying out the work and formulate the main and very strict requirements for the quality of territory clearance. Among these requirements is the removal of at least 99.6% of explosive hazards located in the ground at a depth of up to 20 cm.

Unfortunately, the available technical means for detecting and neutralizing mines do not allow for such a high quality of clearance, therefore, according to the UN, more than 80% of cleared territories are now cleared manually.

This leads to a low rate of work, their high cost and determines a high degree of risk for demining team personnel.

Thus, according to experts, it will take about 1,000 years to clear the entire planet of mines using existing technologies, the cost of the work will be 65-100 billion dollars, and for every 5,000 mines cleared, there will be one killed and two injured sappers. And all this is provided that the use of mine weapons is completely banned.

Currently, the mine situation on the planet is only getting worse.

As a result of ongoing local wars, regional conflicts and terrorist attacks, despite all efforts in global demining, the number of mines planted is increasing. For every one found out of 120 million mines, 20 are planted again!

1. Technological crisis of the problem of humanitarian demining

From a technical point of view, demining consists of solving two problems: detecting a mine and rendering it harmless.

Once a mine has been detected, neutralizing it is usually not difficult. In most cases, detected mines are destroyed on the spot using explosive charges and appropriate devices.

The greatest difficulty is solving the problem of detecting mines.

The history of the creation and development of modern methods for detecting explosive ordnance goes back almost 70 years. Their development has been particularly intensive over the last three decades, following the development of mine weapons and the emergence of such a problem as international terrorism.

Modern means of detecting explosive ordnance are assessed in terms of search capabilities by two key indicators: the probability of detection and the rate of search (productivity).

At present, many methods for detecting explosive ordnance have been proposed, from visual inspection and the use of specially trained animals to the use of nuclear-physical effects and genetically modified insects that react to the smell of explosives [3,4].

However, it should be noted that none of the methods of detecting explosive ordnance developed to date, in terms of their basic parameters (sensitivity, selectivity, speed of response), meets either the requirements of the UN standards for humanitarian demining or the general task of global demining of the planet in the foreseeable future.

There is a technological crisis in the problem of humanitarian demining, despite all the technological and financial efforts of the community.

This crisis is a consequence of the fact that most of the developments of new methods for detecting explosives and the improvement of previous ones were aimed at using manual demining technologies with direct human participation.

This reflects the political and economic doctrine adopted in the early 1990s of carrying out humanitarian demining work in underdeveloped countries by local populations, training them and providing them with cheap but ineffective explosive detection equipment.

The world community allocates funds for the development of such methods and devices as a priority.

Currently, as half a century ago, the most common technical means of detecting explosives is an induction mine detector, the operating principle of which is based on the detection of metal contained in the mine.

Modern devices are capable of detecting metal mass measured in grams, since such a quantity is contained in mines with non-metallic casings.

However, the high sensitivity of the mine detector leads to the fact that in places of former battles, during the search for one detected mine, there are from 100 to 1000 false signals, the sources of which are numerous fragments and bullets located in the ground.

This makes it virtually impossible to use the device further and forces the sapper to take a sapper probe in his hands and probe the soil in front of him centimeter by centimeter. In this way, he manages to clear 20 to 50 m2 of mines per day.

In addition, during the time from the end of military operations to the beginning of demining, the soil is usually covered with grass and bushes, which further reduces the rate of search for explosive ordnance and increases the risk of the sapper's work.

An example is the humanitarian demining operation in Kuwait. According to the Russian branch of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the demining of Kuwait is the most comprehensive demining operation to date carried out on a commercial basis.

The cost of the operation in Kuwait was $961,538 per km2 ($700 million for 728 km2). It involved 4,000 foreign sappers, 84 of whom were killed. During the evaluation of the operation's results, mines missed by the sappers were discovered, and today large areas are being re-examined [5].

2. Unmanned technology for detecting and neutralizing explosive remnants

There are currently two possible ways out of the current technological crisis. The first way is to develop installations using so-called multi-sensor sensors, i.e. a combination of detection devices based on known principles with a simultaneous increase in their number to improve productivity.

The combined operation of these devices and complex computer processing should, in principle, increase the probability of detecting a VOP and increase the search speed and thus productivity.

The second way is to use fundamentally new methods of detecting explosives, for example, from the arsenal of fundamental physical science, more precisely, physics of medium and high energies. Such a method exists, it is called “Gamma-activation method of detecting hidden explosives” and is being successfully developed, as applied to humanitarian demining tasks, at the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FIAN).

The implementation of the specified solutions to the problem requires a completely different method of conducting mine clearance work on the ground: abandoning the use of manual methods of searching for and defusing mines with direct human participation, and using unmanned technology with the use of robotic mobile units that exclude direct human contact with explosive objects.

The development and application of unmanned technology in humanitarian mine clearance is characterized by three areas:

1. mechanization of clearance from explosive hazards without their detection
2. robotics of the process of detecting explosive hazards (remotely controlled systems)
3. automation of mine clearance (combination of detection and clearance).

The first direction is historically associated with the use of various mechanical mine trawls in military mine clearance operations.

In recent years, a number of companies have been intensively developing various mechanical mine trawls intended for humanitarian demining. These trawls are metal rollers, cutters and chain devices that, by acting on the ground, are designed to cause the mine to explode or destroy it [6].

The use of mine trawls allows clearing up to 80% of the terrain from explosives, but these actions cause contamination of the territory with particles of explosives from destroyed mines, which adversely affects soil fertility and increases the likelihood of its erosion. However, despite these shortcomings, mechanical mine trawls are still used in humanitarian demining operations.

The second direction is associated with the development and creation of multisensor systems in which the detection signal is formed as a logical function of signals coming from various sensors.

A successful example of such a system is a mobile complex developed in Canada [7], equipped with an induction mine detector, a subsurface locator, and visible and IR television cameras.

During testing, this system, with all sensors used together, provided a 96% probability of detecting explosive remnants. .

The third direction is connected with the creation of machines of the future, using new highly effective methods and means of searching for hidden explosives.

They must work in minefields independently, detect explosives, neutralize them and mark the cleared area, while all UN requirements for the quality of mine clearance must be met.

All three directions are united by a common, and essentially new, technology of humanitarian mine clearance. All installations are placed on remotely controlled wheeled or tracked carriers.

These machines are controlled remotely by operators from remote control cabins. Such installations are designed for demining large open (accessible to this equipment) areas of terrain, primarily for agricultural purposes.

Currently, the efforts of the organizations represented by the authors of this article are underway to develop a highly effective and fast-acting robotic mobile complex designed to detect mines and explosive objects and oriented towards use in humanitarian demining operations.

The system is based on the gamma-activation method of detecting and identifying explosives by the increased concentration of nitrogen and carbon, which form the basis of all modern military explosives.

3. Robotic complex for humanitarian demining based on the gamma-activation method of detecting explosives

3.1. Physical principles of the gamma-activation method for detecting explosives.

The essence of the gamma-activation method is to detect an increased concentration of nitrogen and carbon in the volume being examined. For this purpose, the registration of decay products of short-lived isotopes 12B (boron-12) and 12N (nitrogen-12) with half-lives of 20.2 and 11.0 ms is used.

These isotopes are produced as a result of photonuclear reactions of the type: 14N(g,nn)12N, 14N(g,pp)12B, 13C(g,p)12B on nitrogen-14N and carbon-13C (the admixture of the isotope 13C in natural carbon is 1.107%), when they are irradiated with gamma quanta with an energy greater than the threshold value Eg.

In the final state of these reactions, neutrons-(n) and protons-(p) are also formed. The values ​​of the energy thresholds of the reactions are Eg =31 MeV for 14N(g,nn)12N, Eg =24 MeV for 14N(g,pp)12B and Eg =17 MeV for 13C(g,p)12B [8].

The resulting isotopes 12B and 12N are beta-active and in the process of decay emit electrons and positrons with a maximum energy of ~13 MeV and ~17 MeV, which, moving in the substance, in turn induce gamma quanta.

These gamma quanta, together with electrons and positrons, constitute secondary decay products and can be registered by a detector.

The selection of the above reactions as reference ones ensures high selectivity of the method for detecting explosives, since when any other chemical elements are irradiated with a gamma beam with an energy of less than 100 MeV, no other isotopes with a half-life in the range from 1 to 100 ms are formed.

Therefore, if the object under examination is irradiated with a gamma radiation pulse with a gamma-quantum energy above the threshold values ​​Eg, then in the subsequent time interval of 1 — 20 ms, it will respond, if there is a sufficient concentration of nitrogen and/or carbon atoms in it, with a flow of secondary particles from the decay of isotopes 12B and 12N, otherwise this flow is absent.

Thus, if the secondary radiation detector is turned on for registration during this time interval, it is possible to obtain a high-contrast signal indicating the presence of nitrogen and/or carbon.

The short exposure time required to detect explosives (20 ms) ensures high speed of the method.

The procedure for searching for explosives can be repeated at a frequency of 50 Hz, shifting the point of irradiation of the studied area by the required value and thus implementing the scanning survey mode.

Another advantage of the described method is that gamma quanta with high penetrating ability are used as both the probing radiation and the carrier of the useful signal, which allows detecting explosives in the soil at a considerable depth.

It follows from the above that such a characteristic of the formed isotopes 12B and 12N as a short decay time provides a unique opportunity to determine the presence of a hidden explosive with high reliability (~100%) in a short period of time (~20 ms) in the scanning search mode. The point of irradiation of the object from which the response signal was received indicates the coordinates of the explosive.

3.2. Accelerator — detection complex for detecting explosives

Modern sources of high-energy gamma radiation are electron accelerators. The generation of a beam of gamma quanta is carried out as follows.

The beam of accelerated electrons extracted from the accelerator is directed to a thin 1 mm target plate made of heavy material (lead, tungsten, platinum, tantalum, etc.), in which, as a result of radiation braking, a narrow beam of gamma quanta arises, the direction of which coincides with the direction of the electron beam. By changing the direction of the original electron beam using a magnetic field, it is possible to create scanning beams of gamma quanta.

The practical implementation of the gamma-activation method for detecting explosives is associated with the creation of the core of the installation — the accelerator-detecting complex (UDC) with parameters that satisfy both the requirements for the reliability of detection and identification of explosives, and the possibility of its use as part of a mobile installation.

UDC (Fig. 1) consists of three main units:

1. a compact pulsed electron accelerator;
2. scanning systems, gamma-quantum converter and beam position control system;
3. high-speed secondary radiation detector.

   Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the accelerator-detecting complex

   EP – electron gun, MI – injector magnet,
   US – accelerating structure, M1 and M2 – 180° rotating magnets,
   MV – output magnet, L1 and L2 – quadrupole lenses, MP – rotary magnet, SC – scanning magnet, MK – gamma-quantum converter target, MIK – multi-wire ionization chamber, D – secondary radiation detector.

Electron accelerator. The main parameters of the accelerator are the energy and pulse current of accelerated electrons, which are determined by the physical characteristics of the excited processes.

Since the energy of gamma quanta must exceed the threshold energy values ​​Eg for excited photonuclear reactions, the energy of accelerated electrons must be in the range of 50-70 MeV. The value of the pulse current of accelerated electrons is ~(40-50) mA in a pulse of 5-6 μs duration, which is due to the required intensity of the gamma quanta beam (~1012 gamma quanta/pulse), sufficient to form the amount of isotopes 12B and 12N required for reliable registration from the action of one gamma radiation pulse.

The choice of the accelerator type used as a gamma radiation source is of fundamental importance for the practical use of the method in mobile installations. With unique physical parameters, the accelerator must be reliable and have weight, size and energy consumption characteristics acceptable for its installation on mobile carriers.

The only possible type of accelerator for these purposes is a specialized electron accelerator — a split microtron (RAM), the operating principle of which is based on the use of a progressive particle acceleration scheme, first implemented in the country at the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences [9].

The specialized electron accelerator RAM has concentrated the latest achievements in the field of high technology, including microwave and accelerator technology, and its main characteristics are given in Table 1.

Table 1. Technical characteristics of the RAM accelerator

The split microtron has a number of advantages over a traditional linear accelerator, the most important of which are the following:

• multiple passage of the beam through the accelerating structure ensures an increase in the electronic efficiency of the accelerator, which allows, at a given microwave power supply, to increase the current of the accelerated beam and, due to this, to increase the intensity of the bremsstrahlung radiation of the installation;
• the longitudinal overall dimensions of the accelerator and its mass are reduced;
• the electron-optical characteristics of the accelerated beam are improved.

The scanning system, beam position control and gamma-quantum converter combines gamma-beam formation devices in a single structural unit and consists of an electron beam transport path, a scanning magnet, a gamma-quantum converter and a scanning gamma beam position monitor.

The system is surrounded by local radiation protection.

The beam transport path forms an irradiation spot on the surface of the target converter and, using a rotating magnet, turns the electron beam in the direction of the surface being examined. The scanning magnet is designed to dynamically change the direction of the electron beam for the purpose of step-by-step irradiation of the area being examined.

The magnetic field of this magnet sets the direction of the electron beam to the target converter, where the electron beam is converted into a beam of bremsstrahlung gamma quanta directed along the axis of the deflected electron beam.

The position of the scanning gamma beam is controlled by the beam monitor — a multi-wire two-coordinate ionization chamber located behind the target converter.

The scanning system ensures sequential (line-by-line) movement of the beam across the surveyed area with a minimum step of 5 cm at a displacement rate of 1 step per accelerator pulse (with a frequency of 50 Hz). The accuracy of recording the beam position on the object is ± 1 cm with a diameter of the irradiation zone on the soil surface of 5 cm.

The secondary radiation detector is designed to register the decay products of the isotopes 12B and 12N.

If the secondary radiation detector is located on the earth's surface or at a shallow depth, the detector mainly records electrons and positrons.

If the VOP is located at a great depth, the detector registers gamma quanta generated by the movement of decaying electrons and positrons in the ground.

The detector consists of a set of scintillators — special optical materials that emit a short flash of light when an elementary particle passes through them.

The flash of light is converted into a short electrical signal by photomultipliers that scan the sensitive volume of the detector.

The detector is placed above the irradiation zone. The electronic logic of the detector allows for simultaneous registration and separation of signals from charged particles and gamma quanta and measurement of the decay times of the formed isotopes.

The operation of all UDC devices is provided by an automated control system, which allows for synchronous control and monitoring of the RAM electronic accelerator modes, control of the scanning system, collection and processing of data from the detector, display of information on the operator console about the dynamics of the work progress, accumulation of the results of the work performed in the database and ensuring the operation of the UDC in abnormal and emergency situations.

4. Robotic mobile complex for humanitarian demining

The progress achieved to date in the development of the gamma-activation method for detecting explosives and the level of engineering development have made it possible to move on to the practical implementation of the method and the development on its basis of highly effective installations for searching for explosives for the purposes of humanitarian demining.

The gamma-activation method and the parameters of the specialized accelerator-detecting complex ensure detection of explosive ordnance with a charge mass of 125 g at a depth of up to 20 cm and a mass of 500 g at a depth of up to 40 cm. The probability of detection with a single exposure to a gamma beam is at least 99.6%. At the same time, residual radioactivity of the area is completely absent a few minutes after irradiation.

In addition, systems for detecting explosives based on the gamma activation method have a number of additional advantages.

These primarily include:

1. The ability to detect explosives in any packaging.
2. High selectivity. The unit reacts only to the presence of substances with an increased content of carbon and nitrogen, which form the basis of modern explosives. Signal processing methods and corresponding irradiation modes allow detecting and distinguishing substances by their content of carbon and/or nitrogen. A mixture of these elements is typical only for explosives. The unit is not sensitive to other chemical elements. This is the fundamental basis for high noise immunity.
3. High system performance. The accelerator parameters and the identification method allow receiving and processing information from the monitored volume in no more than 20 ms, which makes it possible to conduct a scanning survey with a performance of 50 points per second.
4. The ability to obtain an image of the contour of an object containing explosives by scanning the surface being surveyed.
5. The ability to search for explosives in areas covered with shrub vegetation, since the distance between the surface being surveyed and the secondary radiation detector can be 1.5-2 meters.

The complex being developed has no analogues in the world and is a high-tech mobile robotic system created on the basis of the latest achievements in the field of medium and high energy physics, accelerator and microwave technology, robotics, mechanical engineering, nuclear electronics, automation, remote control and high information technology.

5. Robotic vehicle for search and detection of explosive ordnance

The mobile robotic complex consists of a robotic vehicle for search and detection of explosive ordnance (RMP) and a remote control cabin (RCC). The RMP layout option on a self-propelled tracked chassis is shown in Fig. 2.

The modular type RMP for search and detection of explosive remnants is being developed on the basis of a serially produced multi-purpose basic tracked chassis, which has significant reserves for the gradual improvement of both individual components and the system as a whole and is intended for operation in various climatic conditions — from the far North to the southern tropics.

Fig. 2. Layout of the RMP on a self-propelled tracked chassis

1 — secondary radiation detector,
2 — container with equipment,
3 — gamma emitter unit,
4 — primary power source,
5 — process crane-manipulator,
6 — water cooling system.

The self-propelled basic tracked chassis is being modified to provide remote control of its main units during operation.

The basic chassis, equipped with a multi-fuel twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine, combines power and efficiency in various climatic conditions.

The hydromechanical transmission with a hydrostatic steering mechanism ensures the RMP movement forward and backward in four gears, stepless rotation and turning of the machine on the spot, which is a very important condition for remote control of the RMP movement.

The perfect design of the chassis with hydraulic shock absorbers with liquid cooling provides excellent cross-country ability and a very smooth ride.

The average specific pressure on the ground does not exceed 0.8 kg per cm2. The load capacity of the base chassis is 11.5 tons.

In order to create the necessary volumes in the hull for the placement of the RAM electron accelerator, the microwave power source, the high-voltage power supply system, the UDC electronic control equipment and the remote control complex (RCC) receiving equipment, the hull of the base chassis is equipped with an armored cabin (container) to protect the equipment placed in it from damage during accidental explosions of the VOP.

Inside the armored cabin (container), the climate control system maintains a specified temperature and humidity regime to ensure stable operation of the UDC.

The front part of the base chassis contains a scanning system unit with a converter and a gamma beam direction monitor, surrounded by a local radiation protection system, as well as a system for marking the reconnaissance passage and the area of ​​the terrain with detected explosive hazards.

Containers with scintillation detectors are located forward beyond the nose of the base chassis, which allows for unimpeded search for explosive hazards not only in open terrain, but also in hard-to-reach places in areas covered with shrub vegetation.

A power supply station of the GTD-80 kW type and generators of 20 and 50 kW, as well as a water cooling system for the UDC and an ejector cooling system with a heat removal of about 4,000,000 kcal/hour are installed in the aft part of the base chassis.

A process crane-manipulator is installed on the right side of the armored cabin (container).

A visualization system for the working area is located in the forward part of the base chassis.

The rear part of the armored cabin houses the radio control and communication system, the telecommunications information and control channel and the navigation equipment.

In addition, the armored cabin is equipped with a fire extinguishing system operating in automatic and manual modes.

The navigation equipment provides high-precision, all-weather, continuous coordinate-time reference of the RMP on the ground.

The navigation equipment includes a set of user navigation equipment (UNE) of the Global Navigation System (GNSS) «Glonass — GPS Navstar», inertial navigation system (INS) equipment and an antenna system for receiving signals from space navigation vehicles.

In integrated mode, the INS provides autonomous generation of navigation information in the event of a short-term interruption in the reception of information from the GNSS «Glonass — GPS Navstar» space vehicles.

If necessary, a system for eliminating explosive remnants at the site of their detection can be installed on the RMP. In this case, the RMP is additionally equipped with a movable screen that protects containers with scintillation detectors and equipment of the nose section of the base chassis from the effects of a blast wave and fragments.

Remote control cabin

The remote control cabin (RCC) is designed for automated control of all RMP devices and processing of the results of the search for VOP.

The RCC includes:

• The RCC operator's automated workplace (AWP) provides control of the RCC, the electromagnetic scanning system and bremsstrahlung converters, secondary radiation detectors, and the gamma-quantum beam position control system. The RCC operator's automated workplace is equipped with a work area visualization system;
• ARM SPD – ARM of the data transmission system (DTS) operator provides automated collection, processing of information received from detectors, monitoring of the RMP state and its systems, monitoring of the power supply, cooling and air conditioning systems, monitoring of the radiation protection system;
• ARM (UDBSh) – ARM of the operator controlling the movement of the RMP base chassis, the movable screen, remote detonation of detected explosive devices, the RMP fire extinguishing system;
• subsystem for documenting and recording detected explosive devices;
• display subsystem;
• central computing complex;
• telecommunications and communications subsystem;
• navigation and orientation subsystem;
• autonomous power supply subsystem;
• general, system-wide, information and special software.

The control cabin is being developed on the basis of a serially produced constant-volume container body type KK2.1 with a lifting capacity of 3.7 tons transported by the Ural 4320-31 vehicle.

The KK2.1 container body is a replaceable module of constant volume of frame-panel design, made of duralumin alloy with polyurethane foam filler. The container body is equipped with modern life support systems (air conditioning, heating, ventilation, lighting), power supply with automatic protection against electric shock, control panels for these systems.

When searching for a VOP, the RMP moves at low speed and scans a 4 m wide strip in front of it on the ground. The search can be performed either automatically according to an algorithm selected by the operator, or in a semi-automatic mode using a television viewing system of the surveyed soil area and manual controls located on the panels of the operator's workstations.

Upon receiving a signal about the presence of explosives, the RMP stops, the coordinates of the detected object are recorded in the database of the complex's documentation system, and a corresponding message is issued to the operator, who decides on the method of defusing the charge.

In this case, the point of detection of the charge is marked on the ground using a flag and/or spraying a coloring agent on the ground.

Depending on the adopted demining technology, either the object with explosives is removed with a special manipulator and then evacuated, or the charge is eliminated on site, or the mine neutralization operation is carried out manually.

Other options for marking and defusing detected charges are also possible. A crew of three can operate this complex.

The complex allows processing a large area of ​​mined territory with a single topographic reference of the control cabin.

The potential boundaries of the demining zone in calm terrain are limited, mainly, by the range of the information channel, i.e. several kilometers.

The process of searching for objects with explosives is characterized by a high level of safety and does not require special radiation protection measures for the control cabin due to the remoteness of the reconnaissance zone.

The main technical characteristics of the complex are given in Table 2.

Table 2. Main technical characteristics of the mobile complex for detecting explosives.

Our assessments of the technical and economic parameters show that the complex is capable of clearing an area of ​​up to 1 hectare of mines in one working day.

This means that the implemented method of carrying out humanitarian demining work is 250 times more effective than the traditional — manual.

The presented complex ensures a high level of safety of demining work using unmanned technology, meets the requirements of the UN Standard for such systems, and increases the speed of humanitarian demining work hundreds of times.

The use of the complex is especially effective when demining large areas, such as agricultural lands.

Conclusion

The authors express their deep gratitude for their attention and support of the work to the deputies of the 3rd State Duma of the Russian Federation A.G. Arbatov, M.I. Vasiliev and A.A. Kokoshin.
We express our deep gratitude to Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences O.N. Krokhin and Professor A.N. Lebedev for their constant attention, support and assistance in the work.
We also take this opportunity to express special gratitude for useful advice and assistance in the work to V.E. Yarynich and A.N. Yakovlev.

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