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Defense firm to deliver latest remote-controlled mine laying vehicles to Russian troops

The new engineering vehicle makes it possible to lay only the latest mines outfitted with self-destruction and self-deactivation technology

MOSCOW, November 19. /TASS/. A new batch of Zemledeliye remote-controlled mine laying engineering systems will arrive for Russian troops by the end of this year, CEO of the Splav Research and Production Association (part of the Technodinamika Holding Company within the state tech corporation Rostec) Alexander Smirnov told TASS on Friday.

"The state trials will be over this year. The first batch that we have produced for operational evaluation has already been delivered to the troops. This year, we are also planning the delivery of these systems," the chief executive said.

The new engineering vehicle makes it possible to lay only the latest mines outfitted with self-destruction and self-deactivation technology. The munitions stowed in containers can have different contents, including a small aerial drone. The project requires further technical work to ensure that a drone launched by this system flies along the designated route and accomplishes its mission instead of crashing, he explained.

"Technology is needed to ‘unpack’ the drone and reduce its speed to eject it safely from a container," Smirnov said.

The Zemledeliye features the principle of multiple launch rocket systems but uses munitions with a solid propellant engine that are stuffed with various types of mines for laying minefields. The remotely-controlled mine laying method has a number of advantages. In particular, it is characterized by the speed of laying minefields, especially in hard-to-access areas. At the same time, the mines’ capability to self-deactivate or self-destruct at a designated time provides for safe and quick mine clearance after the end of combat operations.

Also, in the process of mine laying, the vehicle’s electronic terrain map marks mined areas’ coordinates that are subsequently transmitted to the higher command and control level.

Apart from a combat vehicle, the mine-laying system also comprises a transporter-loader and container-launchers with engineering munitions filled with mines of various types. The entire system complies with the international treaties on the prohibition or limitation of the use of mines, booby-trap mines and other devices.