Minefield Breaching: Doing the Job Right

Mines are a cheap and effective way for the enemy to create obstacles. Modem antitank and antivehicle mines are highly sophisticated and include blast resistant, pressure sensitive mines, magnetic mines that are detonated by changes in the magnetic field, and double-impulse mines which must be triggered OT hit twice before they detonate. Minefields are used in conjunction with other obstacles and are covered by enemy F i, making them inherently dangerous. The Belvoir Research, Development and Engineering Center reported that about half of the combat deaths during Operation DESERT STORM were caused by mines.’ Therefore, it is imperative that armor units can breach enemy minefields quickly and with minimum casualties. Current minefield breaching efforts for armored forces use the equipment and skills of both engineer and armor units but has its limitations. The equipment is designed for the initial tracked vehicles only, and it doesn’t defeat many of the types of mines encountered. Today’s minefield breaching equipment takes too much time to clear a lane, and the cleared lane is limited to where a tank’s tracks will follow, leaving a gap down the middle. The gap must be cleared before follow-on tracked vehicles begin to compress the lane and bottom out on the gap, and before wheeled vehicles with a dissimilar wheel base can proceed. Facilitating the movement of dissimilar vehicles becomes critical when operating in the joint or combined environment. The solution to. this problem is to use minefield breaching equipment designed to clear all types of mines from the entire width of a tank, thus eliminating the gap and allowing the movement of initial tracked vehicles, follow-on tracked vehicles, and wheeled vehicles used by the Army as well as other services and allies. This article examines the problems with current minefield breaching equip-An MlAl passes through the berm into Iraq. ment, explores potential solutions, and offers a recommendation for the future. Problems The f i t step in breaching a minefield is to use the Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC) found in engineer units. The line charge is towed in a trailer behind a tank or Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV). A rocket is Fired, which pulls aline of explosives across the minefield The explosion creates an overpressure which clears a lane approximately 14 meters wide and 100 meters long. There are numerous deficiencies in the MICLIC. F i t, the system uses WWII technology and has a significant failure rate? Second, even if the system works as advertised, and if the driver accuntely estimates the.62- meter standoff distance needed from the launcher to detonation point, it clears a lane that is only 100 meters long. Minefields of greater depth require multiple MICLICs. Another disadvantage is that the rocket carrying the line charge does not always fly perfectly straight. This can result in aline that is snaked or has numerous turns. This reduces the length of the cleared lane and complicates proofing efforts. An additional problem caused by the speed and direction of the blast is the creation of a “skip zone” where mines are not affected by the overpressure. Mines that are in the skip zone, located.75 to 1.5 meters either side of the charge, may not be detonated. Finally and most important, the

- t left, a Caterpillar D-7 with an armored cab and Il-width mine rake attachment Above, the mine ke attachment for the Combat Engineer Vehie. Mine rakes are most effective in loose sand. MICLIC is designed for use against surface-laid, single-impulse, pressure-sensitive mines. The line charge does not detonate magnetic, nonpressure-sensitive, or double-impulse mines. If these mines are buried properly, or vice, many will not be blown out of the lane. Because of the numerous deficiencies in the MICLIC, after a path is blown through the minefield, it is necessary to “proof“ it by clearing blast-resistant, magnetic, or double-impulse mines not detonated by the overpressure or thrown out of the lane by the blast. Two types of minefield-proofing equipment are used today: a track-width mine plow (”) and a track-width mine roller (TWMR). Both pieces of equipment are maintained and used by armor units. The mine plow and the mine roller are produced as separate kits; either kit can be mounted on the front of an MlAl tank. The mine plow scoops up the mines in front of the tank and pushes them off to the side. The TWMP leaves a gap that is 64 inches wide. Within this gap, the guide rails or “float assembly” for the plow will clear most single-impulse mines, leaving a gap of only 26 inches. The mine roller detonates the single-impulse mines in front of the tank. The TWMR leaves a gap that is 72 inches wide. Either system can employ a magnetic signature device to defeat magnetic mines? phad with any type Of anchoring de-The TWMP and TWMR have several shortcomings. Double-impulse mines are not cleared by a mine roller. Antipersonnel mines, which are smaller than antitank mines, may slip between the teeth of a mine plow. Antipersonnel mines, particularly the bouncing variety, can be dangerous to unarmored, wheeled vehicles. Another problem is caused by repeated crossings of heavy vehicles through the same lane, jwticularly when breaching over sand or mud. As additional vehicles, weighing close to 70 tons, move through the lane, they dig out and compress the trail until the vehicles “bottom out” and the bellies of the vehicles sink down far enough to hit the gap. Additionally, the TWMP and the TWMR are designed to facilitate the passage of tracked vehicles with a similar width. The remaining gap must be cleared in a slow and complicated process for vehicles with a dissimilar width, which include many wheeled vehicles. Clearing the gap is slow and tricky. The least preferred method, due to the time and danger involved, is to clear the gap manually, using hand-held mine detectors. The increased use of plastic mines makes detection much more difficult. The soldiers must stop, set an explosive charge on each mine, withdraw to a safe position, then blow the mine “in place.” The preferred method is not much better. This method removes the gap mechanically. A proofing vehicle offsets to the right side of the original lane and, depending on the method used, either plows up or rolls over the gap. The offset lane must exactly match the original lane. Smoke and dust on the battlefield make this procedure extremely slow and difficult. Another factor is the plowed-up dirt, called the spoil, produced by the mine plow. A TWMR cannot widen a lane that has been initially plowed, because it will run into the spoil, which is loaded with plowed-up mines. When using both types of equipment, a TWMP should follow a TWMR. If only one vehicle k proofing, three trips must be made. The first trip is from the friendly side to the enemy side to make the original proof. The second trip is from the enemy side back to the friendly side to widen the lane. The third trip is from the friendly side back to the enemy side to continue the assault. In order to limit the number of trips, reduce the time necessary to breach, and keep combat power moving toward the enemy, at least two proofing vehicles are needed per lane. However, if a TWMR is used, double-impulse mines will not be defeated and if a TWMP is used, antipersonnel mines will not be defeated. Potential Solutions In place of the TWMP and TWMR, vehicle-width equipment should be used. There are several examples of this concept in use today. The Israelis use a “full-width” mine plow mounted on either a D-8 or D-9H bulldozer chassisPS The Israeli plow clears a path that is five meters wide, but it cannot keep up with the more mobile armor units. The U. S. Army has just-adopted a Combat Engineer Vehicle Mine Clearing Rake! The rake is mounted on a tank chassis and clears a path that is 125 percent of the tank width. This vehicle was used during the Persian Gulf War. Because it is a rake instead of a plow, it is limited to sand and loose soil. Finally, the Marines used afield expedient vehicle-width mine roller as they breached the two Iraqi minefields during the ground assault into Kuwait. This mine roller, nicknamed a “roller dude,” was built by a detachment from the Navy Construction Battalion. Simple in design, it was a section of steel pipe, about four feet in diameter, extending across the width of the tank. The pipe was filled with cement, equipped with a movable axle, and mounted on the front of the M60 tank. Vehicle-width clearing devices are heavier than track-width devices. This extra weight can slow a tank, increase its fuel consumption, and strain its engine. In order to address this problem, the Army is evaluating a Combat Mobility Vehicle (CMV) designed specifically for engineers. This vehicle would have a full-width mine plow and a deck-mounted powered arm for digging, lifting, and obstacle reduction of ditches and berms. There are four immediate problems with this concept. First, depending on the chassis of this vehicle, the CMV may not have the mobility to keep up with modem armor units. Second, this vehicle will be much more expensive than a kit that attaches to a tank. Third, if approved, the fielding of the CMV will not take place until well into the next decade. Finally, this vehicle is designed for engineers and will not be organic to battalion-size armor units. It is best suited for expanding, not making, the initial breach. Recommendation An interim approach and complementary measure to the CMV program would be to develop vehicle width clearing devices to be employed as kits and mounted on the MlAl tank. Using current technology, computer assisted design, and stronger yet lighter metals, the U. S. should be able to develop vehicle-width mine plows and vehicle-width mine rollers that can withstand multiple blasts and still clear a lane without significantly degrading a tank’s performance. The vehicle-width mine plow or roller can be incorporated into the CMV program, fielding the kit long before the CMV itself is ready for production. The benefits of a vehicle-width device far outweigh the cost of replacing the track-width devices currently used. Vehicle-width breaching devices clear a lane in one pass without leaving a gap. This procedure allows jeeps, trucks, and other vehicles of dissimilar width to proceed immediately. A full-width mine plow, followed by a solid, lightweight, full-width mine roller, will clear the lane of all antitank and antipersonnel mines, allowing hacked vehicles, wheeled vehicles, and dismounted troops to move through. It is conceivable that both of these devices, designed as kits, could be mounted on one tank with the mine plow in front and the lightweight mine roller bailing behind the tank. When vehicle-width clearing devices are used, the flow of combat power is not impeded, and the minefield does not become a choke point, creating a lucrative target for the enemy. To effectively counter the growing proliferation and increasing lethality of mines, the U. S. Army needs to develop vehicle-width clearing devices to replace the TWMP and TWMR. ARMOR - Notes ’Desert Storm Countembu Equipment, brochure released by Belvoir Research, Development and Enginetring Center. Fort Belvoir. Va, p. ii. ‘vernon LOWRY. “Initial Otsetvations by n - gineers in the Gulf War.” Engineer, Oct 91.45- 46. 3colonel James A. Marapoti. “Ihe Breaching of Simple and Complex Obstacles,” Murine Corps Guzene. Jan 91. 17. ‘Major Michael C. Howard, USMCR, “Combat Engineer Lssons Fmn the Israelis.” Murine Corps Cazene. Jan 91.24. ’Christopher P. Foss and Teny J. Gander (Editors). June’s Militory Vehicle and Ground Support Equipmen?: 1986-1987. Jane’s Publishing Company limited. London. p. 285. %taff, -Engineer Update.” Engineer. Apr 91. 62. References FM 90-13-1. Combined A m Breuching Opera? ions. Major Drew A. Bennett, an active duty Infantry officer, wrote this article based on his experience as the S3 operations officer for a U. S. Marine Armor/M ech battalion, which breached two minefields in Kuwait during Operation DESERT STORM. His unit, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, arrived in Saudi Arabia on 14 August 1990, and spent the next six months studying, practicing, and rehearsing armor/mech breaching operations as part of Task Force Ripper. A graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, he holds a BA Degree in history from Tulane University, an MS Degree in Human Relations from Golden Gate University, and a Ph. D. in Adult and Extension Education from Texas A&M University. He is currently attending the Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW). 21