A new mining capability is being studied for the benefit of regiments of the Army’s engineering corps, one of many. This time, the focus is on accelerating maneuvering through an integrated system on vehicles already in service.
An “anti-mine burial kit” or KAEM is the subject of a tender launched today by the Directorate General of Armament (DGA). The kit includes a digging tool that allows the operator to create “excavations” measuring 40 cm in diameter and depth, where an engineer team can then place an anti-tank mine.
The KAEM will also contain an on-board element for storing and transporting up to 100 anti-tank mines, as well as an adaptation solution to interface with the terrain development machinery used by the Army. According to the DGA, this kit “must allow for the transport of a buffer stock of mines and their deployment in a wide variety of soils, which cannot be modified by manual excavation.” It aims to create an “anti-tank plug” while making it less detectable.
The target is estimated at 21 systems, including two as a firm commitment. The winner, whether a single candidate or a consortium, will secure a five-year framework agreement, the financial scope of which is unspecified. The timeline is not detailed, but the urgency is evident given the 10-month deadline imposed by the DGA for supplying the various components of the kit.
This KAEM is part of other programs aimed at strengthening and renewing the counter-mobility framework of the engineers, a domain brought to the forefront by the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. For instance, area mining is a capability that has been abandoned, according to a recent report.
“In the current situation, the engineering corps would not have the means to engage in long-lasting high-intensity operations, especially as an engineering support tactical group for a division,” states the report, while also urging to “equip regiments anew to avoid a definitive loss of capability.” This kit will partially recover a lost capability with the removal of PM12 burial machines. Other items in this category are included in the capability roadmap of the Army, presented this week at a meeting of the Circle of Innovation of Future Combat (CICF). However, the mechanical mine layer and mine dispenser are expected to arrive later, after 2035 for the former and after 2040 for the latter.
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