Ukraine receives first Armtrac 400 mine clearing vehicle from UK
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set up an initiative called UNITED24 to attract donations from around the world, Business Insider reports. Funds raised through the initiative have allowed Ukraine to buy an Armtrac 400 for the Kharkiv region, which is no longer occupied but remains contaminated with mines. The machine was purchased for $491,808.
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The first Armtrac 400 was sent out to Poland in September and was moved to Ukraine earlier this October month. The managing director, Stephen Brown, went to Ukraine to train about seven sapper operators (Picture source: Business Insider/Armtrac)
The Armtrac 400 mine-clearing vehicle is developed and manufactured by Armtrac, based near Cambridge, UK. Robin Swanson, of Armtrac, told Business Insider that Ukraine first expressed an interest in this vehicle in April. It was sent out to Poland in September and was moved to Ukraine earlier this October month. The managing director, Stephen Brown, went to Ukraine to train about seven sapper operators.
The Armtrac 400 is the largest and most powerful of the Armtrac range. With its hydraulically driven 3-meter Tiller rotor, it is capable of clearing 2,400 square meters per hour (depending on terrain & operator experience). With an effective tilling depth of 55cm, the Armtrac 400 is designed to destroy & withstand 10kg Anti-Tank mines.
The A 400 is fully remotely controlled from up to 800 meters, allowing the operator to remain at a safe distance while still maintaining 100% control of all the machine’s functions. Alternatively, thanks to the fully armoured, sound-proofed and air-conditioned cabin (which can withstand NATO Ball at point blank range), an operator can maintain a detailed “bird’s eye” view of demining operations in complete comfort and safety. As an optional extra, we can add a unique “scissor-lift” cab mounting so that shocks are absorbed & the ride height can be adjusted for the best possible view.
The Armtrac 400 has a Telescopic Boom to which different demining toolkits can be attached. This boom can be extended to clear mines and UXO in difficult locations such as on river banks and on inclines, while remaining completely stationary. This is a unique feature to the Armtrac tracked machines.
A variety of toolkits are available for demining and clearing UXO. As well as a tiller and flail, the Armtrac Mine Comb or screener/segregator can extract buried mines and UXO down to 50 cm. When the Armtrac Sifter is fitted to the rear of the machine, this extracts items & potentially missed ordnance down to 50 cm which provides a comprehensive quality assurance tool when fitted together with a front-mounted tiller or flail.
While remaining a proven force in the clearance of mines, IEDs and UXO, the Armtrac 400 will accommodate any standard construction tool such as buckets, dozer blades, forklift tines or power grab using an industry-standard quick hitch coupling. The backhoe excavator can be fitted to the rear of the machines when a demining toolkit is fitted to the front. Alternatively, the backhoe can be fitted onto the boom arm which provides a very versatile and far-reaching tool with a standard scrape bucket or a grapple attached for extracting UXO which are difficult to access. The boom arm will lift up to 4 tons which makes the Armtrac 400 a very powerful workhorse for a wide range of leveling, loading, lifting and construction roles. This gives it a “second life” after its clearance role.