Tri-Service
Clearing Minefields Just Got Safer For British Troops
Minefield clearance has just received an upgrade.
The British Army currently deploys the Python minefield breaching system.
Like its predecessor the Giant Viper, it is pulled into position by a vehicle and uses rockets to launch a hose packed with explosives.
Whereas the Viper cleared a six-metre-wide path that was 200m long, the Python increases this to 7m x 230m.
It is also faster into action and far more accurate than its predecessor.
After the hose lands on the ground it detonates and destroys or clears more than 90% of the mines along its entire length.
The Python can be pulled behind the Trojan armoured engineer tank and has been used in Afghanistan on suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fields.
With the latest upgrade, the system now incorporates an Insensitive Munition (IM) explosive fill.
This limits its sensitivity to bullets and fragments, which should improve safety for the soldiers deploying it.
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