Mine-clearing 'Jang-aemol Gaechuk Jeoncha' Deployed at Frontline for the First Time

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The 'Obstacle-Clearing Tank', capable of detecting and removing large quantities of landmines, will be deployed for the first time to the frontline engineering units.

On the 30th, the military announced that it has received the first mass-produced units of the 'Obstacle-Clearing Tank,' developed under the supervision of Hyundai Rotem.

The Obstacle-Clearing Tank is operated by two soldiers onboard, and it can detect buried landmines by plowing the ground with a plow attached to the front of the vehicle. It is also equipped with a 'magnetic influence mine neutralization device' that emits a magnetic field to deactivate mines, allowing it to detect mines buried up to 5 meters ahead.

Most importantly, compared to the previous method where soldiers directly conducted detection using mine detectors, performing the mission inside the tank ensures protection, which is the greatest advantage, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Securing a 'maneuvering path (corridor),' essential for preventing accidents during mine-clearing operations, becomes much easier with the deployment of the Obstacle-Clearing Tank.

Until now, the military has secured paths by blasting minefields with linear explosives and then deploying additional equipment such as excavators, but this process has been time-consuming and raised ongoing safety concerns. In the case of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the minefield area is estimated to be about 40 times the size of Yeouido.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.