An explosion from above: how the Russian Armed Forces use drones for mine clearance
The engineering troops began using UAVs for mine clearance. The relevant section, developed based on the experience of the special operation, was included in their training program. From the air, the drone searches for explosive objects, and if detected, it can destroy them. For this purpose, ammunition discharge or overhead charges are used. This method allows you to significantly reduce the cleaning time of the territory, and most importantly, not to risk the lives of sappers.
How drones are used for mine clearance
A new section has been introduced into the combat training program for specialists of engineering units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation — the search and destruction of explosive objects using drones, sources in the military department told Izvestia. Changes to the curriculum were made based on the experience of a special military operation.
UAVs are conducting an aerial search. And when an explosive object is detected, it is destroyed by dumping or overhead charges. The device can descend and place, for example, a TNT block on a mine, which is then remotely detonated.
The use of drones allows specialists not to take risks while being at a safe distance.
— Large unmanned aerial vehicles can be used to detect objects on the ground. Large quadrocopters are especially convenient for this, they have a long range, a long stay in the air and the ability to carry a payload," Dmitry Kornev, editor of the Militaryrussia portal, told Izvestia. — Using this payload, it is possible to mine detected devices. It can take place in a very simple way — by dropping ammunition, which explodes and thereby undermines a dangerous object. Of course, this method of mine clearance is very effective when the objects that need to be defused are visually visible. It is clear that if the ammunition or mine is disguised, then, of course, there is a problem. In any case, when working on large areas now, in regions such as Donbass, of course, such a method of mine clearance, along with using other traditional methods, would be extremely effective, very useful and necessary.
If we talk about mine clearance in combat conditions, then the use of UAVs with drops is justified and effective, Alexey Malyshev, executive director of the Humanitarian Demining Service, told Izvestia.
"As for humanitarian demining (after the end of hostilities), this method is not very effective, since it does not guarantee the complete destruction of an explosive object, and also carries the scattering of fragments, which may also contain explosive elements," he explained.
According to the expert, if in combat conditions drones can be used both to detect and destroy explosive objects by means of drops, then in humanitarian, where continuous cleaning of any ferromagnetic elements is important, detection of any anomalies in the soil or on the surface comes to the fore. For this purpose, UAVs with various equipment (thermal imagers, magnetometers, etc.) are used, allowing not only to detect, but also to link this anomalous point to a specific area for further neutralization.
— The problem of mine clearance in Donbass is extremely urgent, and first of all from the point of view of alerting the civilian population about the threat of mine danger. The enemy is subtly mining everything that may be near ordinary residents who are unaware of the deadly danger. Of particular note are remote mining systems and the dropping of improvised explosive devices from copters," concluded Alexey Malyshev.
New mine protection systems
Mine clearance technologies are constantly being improved. Earlier, Izvestia reported that a new robotic complex for humanitarian demining had been tested in Novosibirsk. It consists of several products. The first of them is a special quadcopter, which is equipped with a specific set of equipment. High-resolution cameras allow you to take high-quality aerial photographs of mined areas.
Before the drone takes off, a special program builds a flight task for it. Then the UAV rises into the sky and takes pictures, moving from point to point along the route set by the operator of the device. As a result, sappers receive an orthophotoplan, which is a detailed digital map of the area made up of a large number of high—resolution photographs. The images obtained with its help make it possible to see mines both on the ground and in the grass. The drone's work does not end there. It is equipped with a magnetometer and lifted back into the air. This device allows you to detect magnetic anomalies in the soil layer from a bird's—eye view, even if they are buried several meters deep.
The UAV, equipped with a thermal imager, helps to detect plastic mines during the evening twilight. After sunset, they cool down longer than the earth, and they are clearly visible in the thermal imager. In the future, UAVs can be equipped with geoscaners. These devices detect mines installed in the ground, reacting to its heterogeneity.
The complex also includes a robotic platform for mine clearance — it is made on the basis of a commercial loader. Using a rotary mechanism, it grinds the soil to a depth of about 10 cm, destroying vegetation at the same time. In this way, the robot helps to prepare the area for the work of sappers. The developers have estimated that the new robotic technology will increase the speed of mine clearance by 10-20 times.
Izvestia also reported that Russia has created an automated humanitarian demining system, Minscan, designed to clear the territory after the end of hostilities. The system is based on an unmanned mid—range hexacopter with ground-penetrating radar. It scans the area, and based on the data obtained, the neural network builds a map of where and at what depth the mines are located. The device can scan large spaces. Per unit of working time, it covers an area eight times larger than an ordinary sapper can do. Ground-penetrating radar can operate at temperatures from -40 to +40 degrees.
Last year, humanitarian demining companies began operating in the liberated territories. The main task of their staff is to remove all explosive and metallic objects at a depth of up to 50 cm. After that, the land can be returned to economic circulation.
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