How Russians demine 'battlefields' (PHOTOS)
Igor Rozin
Nataliya Gorshkova/Sputnik
If you've ever wondered what it takes to get a tank armada through minefields using modern technologies then you should definitely take a look at these pictures.
Russian sappers demonstrated their skills as well as their latest demining equipment in early August during the 2019 Army Games.
Their task was to earn the privilege of being named top sappers of the CIS, thus getting promotions and a ticket to the top demining operations on foreign soil in Russia's closest allies' countries.
Sergey Butorin/TASS
Interestingly, some of these engineers are Syrian veterans who worked on demining the city of Palmyra back in 2016.
This year's challenge was to clear a minefield using modern equipment, demining vehicles and robots to clear a path for T-72B3 tanks.
Once the path was cleared, sappers, alongside engineers, also had to eliminate a number of burning logs blocking the way for the infantry. After that the team had to construct a floating bridge over 40 meter wide river and cross it.
Currently, the Russian army is working on creating a new machine for sappers. And during the 2019 Army Games, Russian officials revealed some details about it.
The project goes under the working name of an unmanned automated engineering reconnaissance and clearance system.
armygames2019.mil.ru
It's meant to be fully automated and protect soldiers deployed in danger zones. According to the source, the vehicle will be able to detect and destroy mines from a distance of 200 meters.
The new system is expected to be coordinated using an unmanned control system and an automated information point. And it will also allow the infantry to break through enemy engineering fortifications.
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