Military Logistics: Tenix teams with DOK-ING for Land 144

1 June 2007

By Gregor Ferguson

Tenix Aerospace & Defence's Land Division was a late entrant in the contest to win Project Land 144 - the ADF's counter-mine capability. The company has teamed with a European firm whose equipment is already in service with the US Army.

With a source selection due by the end of 2007, Project Land 144 is moving towards its climax. The RFT was issued in late-December 2006 and ADM understands that Tenix Defence's Land Division didn't have a serious stake in the program until it teamed up with Croatian company DOK-ING to offer the MV-4 and MV-10 mine clearance platforms.

Land 144 is a relatively new project, raised in April 2006 - its urgency highlighted by the recent attacks on ADF units in Iraq and Afghanistan using IEDs (improvised explosive devices).

It aims to acquire a counter-mine capability based on high-readiness engineer units equipped with an Off-the-Shelf (OTS) solution. The project invited Registrations of Interest from companies able to provide three types of capability:

* Protected Hazard Reduction Capability - Mine Clearance vehicles capable of reducing the threat of land mines while at the same time protecting the operator from blast and harm.

* Personnel Explosive Lane Clearance Charge (PELCC) Systems - a man-portable PELCC system to provide cleared lanes through anti-personnel minefields and wire obstacles, reducing the need for manual clearance.

* Improved Handheld Detectors (IHD) - to detect metallic and low metal content plastic mines with a low false alarm rate. This will not replace but enhance current in-service mine detectors.

One of the companies that received the subsequent restricted RFT was DOK-ING, which has become an international leader in the production of unmanned mechanical systems used for mine clearance, and in carrying out de-mining operations. It has offered the DMO two platforms: the MV-4 and the MV-10.

The MV-4 is specifically designed for clearance of Anti-Personnel (AP) mines, but will survive Anti-Tank (AT) mine strikes. It is light (less than 6 tonnes GVM) and easily transportable in both C-130 Hercules and Chinook helicopters.

The US Army is currently using 21 MV-4 for mine clearance, including deployments in Afghanistan. It signed a follow-on order with DOK-ING worth US$45 million in February of this year.

This isn't just an expression of confidence in the platform and prime contractor, believes Tenix - it also generates synergies with Australia, which could 'piggy back' on areas such as training and the production f operator ad maintenance manuals.

The MV-10 mine clearance platform is bigger than the MV-4 at 18 tonnes GVM and is specifically designed for the clearance of large areas and for the destruction/clearance of all mines and unexploded ordnance, including anti-tank mines. This new machine was launched in April 2005 and has been tested by the Croatian Mine Action Centre.

The MV-10 has a double flail attachment providing twice the confidence in mine clearance operations based on a single pass. Most operating procedures involve a double pass process so the MV-10 achieves this aim with more economy in time and efficiency.

Both platforms offer strong growth potential for the mine clearance capability, says Tenix: additional tools can be fixed to the front end of the platform allowing the use of rollers, mechanical jaws (useful for lifting and discarding Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and suspected IEDs) and a mechanical dozer blade. Even a remote weapon station can be included should the ADF desire this capability.

The MV-4 and MV-10 also come with an off the shelf remote control capability to protect personnel. They use ballistic steel to protect the vital components but don't require the additional armour, weight and vehicle complexity for protecting a human operator.

Unmanned systems are rapidly becoming popular for Western armies with a concern for soldier safety - the DOK-ING solution allows the ADF to also move forward into this area, believes Tenix.

The reduced weight and complexity also contribute to strategic and tactical mobility. Both MV-4 and MV-10 are C-130 and C-17 transportable without requiring any preparation such as removing attachments or cabins.

The US Army has certified the MV-4 for underslung movement across its Chinook helicopter fleet. Equally the US Air Force has performed the necessary loading and lashing tests to certify it across their air fleet.

Copies of the loading and lashing diagrams from the US counterparts make the challenge of certifying it for Australian use much less onerous and expensive.

DOK-ING systems have so far cleared more than 40 million square meters of suspected mined areas resulting in detection and destruction of over 120,000 items of potentially dangerous ordnance including mines. This represents a saving of potentially thousands of lives of both military and civilian personnel.

The company has teamed with Tenix Aerospace and Defence (Land Division) to bid for the program. DOK-ING will be prime contractor if their bid is successful; Tenix will be a sub-contractor responsible for Integrated Logistics Support, Through-Life Support, vehicle preparation and delivery through its Adelaide facility and for in-country project management and service entry aspects.

The MV-4 Mine Clearance System is designed and manufactured to clear all types of terrain containing anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Because of its small dimensions and excellent cross-country manoeuvrability, it is suitable for most difficult field and urban mine clearance tasks and missions such as mine clearance of house yards, woods, forest paths, river banks and other types of terrain that are inaccessible to larger machines.

The basic operating tool for mine clearance and vegetation removal consists of a flail attachment mounted in front of the machine which is designed to neutralise and destroy even the smallest anti-personnel mines and the most dangerous types of jumping/bouncing anti-personnel mines.

The MV-4 system is light at 5.31 metric tonnes, and is operated only in the unmanned mode by a single operator using remote controls. The clearance rate of the MV-4 system is up to 2200 square meters per hour.

The MV-4 has a low centre of gravity, and its low profile and aerodynamic shape minimise damage from mine explosions.

The MV-4 has performed exceptionally well in the often dusty environment in Afghanistan.

The MV-4 system can clear very close to obstacles such as buildings and other structures. When moving in parallel, the MV-4 can approach to within 25cm and when operating perpendicular to the structure (coming in at 90 degrees) it can get to within 75cm. This significantly reduces the amount of manual mine clearance required to ensure 100 per cent safe clearance.

Protection for the Operator - The remote controlled operation of the MV-4 provides the ultimate protection for ADF personnel - keeping them away from the likely blast area. The mines and IED have two main effects: metal fragments and blast - in some cases this can lift vehicles into the air and injure or kill occupants.

Will it defeat all known threats? - The MV-4 is possibly the most extensively tested mine clearance platform in the world. To date, 11 different independent organisations have tested DOK-ING's products. Meanwhile, these have so far cleared more than 40 million square meters of suspected mined areas resulting in detection and destruction of over 120,000 items of ordnance.

Integrated Logistic Support - The MV-4 has been accepted into service around the world and is currently supporting the US Army and Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq with additional orders to follow.

Operator and maintenance manuals have been delivered to the US Army and proven and validated by the US Army Corps of Engineers and maintenance personnel, and further refined as a result of their feedback.

The US is also completing the codification of the MV-4 and this should be completed by late-2007. Repair parts lists and training management plans have also been provided for the US. This work offers a substantial base to build from and so meet the time frames for delivery.

Deployed Supportability - The MV-4 system is currently on operational service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Should MV-4s operated by the ADF be deployed to similar regions with the US Army or Marines then it may be possible to tap into their support system.

However, the ADF would also require a stand-alone support capability for deployed operations. This would be provided through the provision of a fly-away kit of likely spares for the duration of the mission.

The engine and hydraulics are similar to other equipment used by the RAE so any light-medium repairs should be within the scope for the deployed workshop supporting the RAE element.

Off the Shelf and Schedule - DOK-ING is offering a proven MOTS and COTS solution. The MV-4 uses proven sub components like the Perkins Diesel engine, Bosch-Rexroth Hydraulic System, and Berco Track System, with no long-lead component issues either for initial build or in-service repair.

Growth Potential - In addition to its mine clearance and hazard reduction capability, the MV-4 system offers additional capabilities such as the use of a roller attachment, a gripper (mechanical jaws) attachment and a dozer blade.

These attachments allow for expanded missions such as: force protection, booby trap clearance, scatterable munition clearance, route clearance, working soil containing explosives and improvised explosive devices, clearing hazardous roadblocks, gripping and removing small devices, suspected IEDs, vehicles, fuel drums, etc.

To satisfy an urgent operational requirement of the US Army and Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom, DOK-ING designed and produced an add-on armour kit for the MV-4. This provides additional protection from higher level threats such as RPGs.

The introduction into US service of the DOK-ING equipment means that many of the ADF requirements will have broadly been met, says Tenix, or will already be in development.

In over nine years of worldwide mine clearance operations with the MV-4 system, no injuries have ever been suffered by operators and, in the 40 million square metres cleared by the company's machines, nobody has ever subsequently been harmed by an undetected mine or piece of UXO.