PT550 D:MINE, the most powerful FAE demining vehicle ever
FAE expands its offering in the demining sector with the introduction of the PT550 D:MINE.
The most powerful FAE mechanical demining vehicle ever built and belongs to the "Heavy" class of demining machines, it is designed to withstand the most extreme stresses, whether dealing with
anti-personnel devices or anti-tank mines.
The PT550 D:MINE represents a benchmark in its category and is tested and certified in accordance with international demining standards CWA 15044:2009 and IMAS 9.50. Its field of application primarily concerns humanitarian demining, aiming to make the land safe and usable for civilian activities through various on-site operations.
These include:
- Actual demining, i.e., clearing minefields containing anti-personnel or anti-tank mines.
- Preparation of land for military clearance, which involves the removal and neutralization of unexploded ordnance such as bombs, mortars, or other munitions
(BAC – Battle Area Clearance and EOD – Explosive Ordnance Disposal). - Identification and neutralization of improvised unexploded devices (IEDD – Improvised Explosive Device Disposal), frequently used in asymmetric conflicts.
The PT550 D:MINE stands out for its versatility. It can be equipped with a demining head or another type of FAE machine, like a forestry mulcher or tiller, a stump cutter or a dozer blade. It also offers a multipurpose front arm, which can be fitted with a manipulator grapple or with a bucket for excavations.
Two types of equipment are used for pure demining: a demining tiller, which has a fixed-tooth rotor, or a demining flail with a rotor of chains fitted with flail hammers. Both strike the ground at a specific depth in order to neutralize mines mechanically, either by destroying the entire mine or detonating it.
For the neutralization of “improvised” ordnance, known as IED, FAE solutions include the PT550 D:MINE equipped with one of the demining tillers. For the IED manipulation for the disposal (IEDD), the FAE solution is the front arm fitted with a manipulator grapple. This configuration allows objects which may contain ordnance, or the ordnance itself, to be moved in complete safety. If equipped with a bucket, the arm can dig to reach deeply buried unexploded ordnance. It also provides a way to create a trench in which the explosives can be inserted for controlled detonation. The multipurpose arm boasts some impressive technical features.
Thanks to the rotation system, the arm can not only move in classic excavator style to the front and sides, but can also rotate the excavating bucket or manipulator grapple on its axis.
This allows them to be positioned swiftly and accurately in relation to the area being worked on or the object to be handled. The camera system, which consists of fixed or motorized units with a zoom function, gives remote operators an overview of the environment they are working in as well as a clear view of the equipment’s activities. Two independent hydraulic stabilizing feet provide excellent stability during different applications.
For overgrown battle areas, the PT550 D:MINE can be equipped with an FAE forestry mulcher for vegetation clearance. This allows operators using metal detectors, for example, to better pinpoint the location of ordnance, as they can hold the detectors close to the ground. Finally, the PT550 D:MINE can be equipped with a dozer blade to cover the trenches created with the bucket back in again.
With the introduction of the PT550 D:MINE alongside the PT300 D:MINE model, FAE confirms its position as a reference point in providing reliable and comprehensive products for government agencies, armies, NGOs, and organizations operating in post-conflict or active conflict areas worldwide.
These are effective and efficient solutions for clearing and restoring areas and land that would otherwise be dangerous and unusable for civilian use.
