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Anti-personnal mines — the buried problem.
As many as 75% of landmine victims are civilians. Although the wars are long over in many countries, they have left a deadly legacy.
The M1 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) is an American sapper tank that will celebrate ten years of service in the United States Army next year. The first glance at this beast, as it is fondly called by marines, is enough to gain respect. The machine weighs 72 tons, is 12 m long and is equipped with a 1500 hp engine. The ABV is based on the M1 Abrams, the standard tank in the US Army, only the traditional turret has been replaced by a special shield, which consists of a steel skeleton and reactive armor. But it is not the appearance that makes the machine count as an engineering marvel, but the way it deals with mines, roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices. It is with them in mind that this colossus was built.
ABV performs in every situation. With the help of minesweepers and mine plough it sweeps the ground in front of the vehicle and detonates mines. Thanks to its massive construction no explosion scares it. It can even drive into a minefield at high speed. In the case of pyrotechnical demining, it fires the so-called extended charge at a distance of 140m. This is a belt containing 770 kg of explosives, which detonates all bombs and mines in the vicinity. The ABV is also able to make them explode using…
