Route Proving and Clearance
Route clearance is the specific activity of ensuring a specific route is free (to an acceptable level of risk) from devices and able to be trafficked, it has a related activity called route proving which confirms a route is clear before being opened for traffic.
Mines are usually well packaged, discrete devices with an integral trigger device. IED’s often have the means of initiation some distance from the charge and this is why demining systems have limited use with IEDs on route proving and clearance tasks. Whilst demining capabilities such as flails might clear mines, they could activate the trigger or pressure plate of an IED when the main charge could be in a different location such as under a vehicle. Hence the need for search.
While the IED threat is anticipated to remain a feature of conflicts regardless of location of operations and scale of conflict, resulting in slowing down forces from making rapid progress, IEDs are cheap to make, devastating in effect and becoming ever more sophisticated.
Road or route search is normally conducted before a vehicle or foot patrol passes through. Typically search teams are looking for command wire devices, radio controlled devices, vehicle activated or person activated devices. In these cases, the route as well as nearby properties and infrastructure may need to be searched.
NIC Instruments offer a range of search mirrors and search tool kits for these search procedures.
In addition a drag hook for searching for hidden command wires helps locate command wires that are either hidden in water or have been buried in soft ground.
The ZEUS unmanned ground vehicle (RCV, ROV) is also capable of carrying out search procedures fully remotely, or if a lightweight, quickly deployed dismounted search is necessary the HAWK Search kit offers a perfect solution.
The Light Weight EOD backpack offers not only the same search capability as the HAWK, but in addition the tools to carry out a render safe procedure as well.
