In armed conflicts such asUkraine WarThe role of military vehicles is crucial, since they not only serve to transport troops or attack, but also for tasks such as Avoid battlefield minesa lethal threat, and protect both soldiers and civilians.
Developing systems that allow detect and eliminate them without putting at direct risk to soldiers It has become a priority for many armies, so the British army is testing a new system called WEEVIL.
This is how the Weevil system that eliminates lethal mines works
The name of the “Weevil” system (“Gorgojo” in English), refers to plant perforator insect and It has been developed by the United Kingdom Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) together with the Pearson Engineering Ltd. company from the country’s government explain its operation in a official statement.
This system allows a single operator, located several kilometers from the battlefieldcontrol the vehicle using a tablet similar. The remote control, named Beacon, offers a precise vehicle managementwhich is equipped with advanced cameras and a mines plow to clear the ground effectively.
The prototype has been successfully tested in a simulated environment in Newcastle and It is still evaluated in real conditions by the British army. One of the differential aspects is that It does not require the New vehicle development. That is, it adapts to existing platforms, which allows modernizing the current fleet without replacing it completely.
THE OBJECTIVE: Do not send soldiers to mines fields
According to Major Andrew Maggs, DSTL military advisor, this advance allows maximizing the potential of current vehicles, offering a “Significant strategic advantage in missions where time and security are fundamental”. In addition, as is a distance system, it greatly reduces the risk of those who act in the front line.
Also, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, has highlighted its importance, making it clear that the mission to be fulfilled is that a day comes in which It is not necessary to send soldiers to manually clean mines fields. At the moment, this system continues in evidence and the army seeks to adapt it to more types of vehicles and combat situations.
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