The Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Plant has developed a remote-controlled mine-clearing system, the Germina URCM-3000. The machine is capable of clearing up to 5 hectares in a single day and can withstand the detonation of an anti-tank mine. Currently, the first prototype is being tested by one of the mine-clearing operators. Afterward, the machine will undergo certification.
"This machine is a successful example of using the manufacturer's technical capabilities, taking into account the experience of Ukrainian sappers. I hope that Germina will successfully pass certification, and we will have a Ukrainian mine-clearing machine with excellent characteristics. More than 60% of its components are produced in Ukraine. The speed at which it covered a 100-meter area today is impressive," said Igor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
The machine, with a working organ that sinks into the soil by 5 centimeters, covered the 100-meter area in one and a half minutes. The passage width was 2.7 meters, allowing for surface clearance of one hectare per hour and up to five hectares per shift.
During demonstration tests, Germina successfully destroyed all training mine models placed in the area, including TM62 and PTM4 anti-tank mines, a fragmentation landmine, and hand grenades.
The mine-clearing machine is equipped with work tools: a chain mechanism, a cutter, a manipulator, and a multifunctional bucket for soil displacement. The manufacturer claims that this setup allows for quick and safe mine clearance of fields and forest belts and will be effective for clearing positions, trenches, and buildings.
The machine uses an engine, chassis, and hydraulics from the best European and American manufacturers. Remote control of the machine can be done from a distance of up to one kilometer.
"The manufacturer has created a machine with high productivity, mobility, ease of maintenance, and the ability to withstand explosions up to 10 kilograms in TNT equivalent. This machine will allow for much faster mine clearance of agricultural lands," noted Eduard Drach, technical director of the UDS operator company, which is working with the first prototype.
In the first half of this year, UDS plans to receive five Germina machines from the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Plant for humanitarian mine-clearing tasks in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions.
The warranty period is three years. The manufacturer states that the base model of the machine will cost around 500,000 euros, which is significantly cheaper than foreign analogs.
