Ukraine certifies its own demining machine
One of Kharkiv’s machine-building plants received a certificate of conformity for a machine for clearing agricultural land for plowing and sowing.
The machine builders told this news to Yulia Sviridenko, the head of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, who paid a working visit to the company. The certificate and declaration of conformity allow us to start mass production of such special equipment. This will be done as soon as possible, and the production of special equipment has already begun.
The final cost of such a machine will be 10 times less than a foreign one, which costs around $1.3 million. In addition, the Kharkiv machine is much simpler in design. Imported machines use a special chassis with innovative superstructures. The domestic counterpart is based on an old T-150 tracked tractor with a remote control unit in the cab.
The operator has a shoulder-mounted control panel with a finger joystick and buttons for all the controls of the tracked transmission, steering wheel, and manual transmission. The eight-ton drawbar-type mine countermeasures unit, which consists of 24 heavy steel gears mounted on an axle to form a working cylinder, is a stern-mounted trailer in transportation mode.
During operational use, the working implement becomes frontal – the base T-150 tractor pushes it in front of it, working at rear speeds. Since there is no one in the cab, the tractor driver does not have to crane his neck, reversing is not critical when operating remotely. The driver only gets behind the wheel on the way to the demining area when he pulls the trailed mine action unit behind the tractor.
It should be noted here that the tractor’s basic engine compartment turns from a frontal one into a back compartment, inaccessible to debris, but it is still well covered with steel sheets.
The aft part of the cabin, which becomes the front part during demining, was partially covered with armor plates to protect the controls from being hit by pieces of metal: where the passenger side seat is, the developers placed a remote control unit. The tractor driver’s seat remains available for transport races.
“We are interested in buying our own equipment rather than importing it. Therefore, we certainly support effective Ukrainian developments. The key task today is to scale up the production of domestic machines. Such special equipment will be useful for the State Emergency Service, the State Special Transport Service and private operators engaged in demining in Ukraine,” said Yulia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
Currently, 20 demining machines are already operating in Ukraine, three of which are in Kharkiv region. Such a fleet of special equipment is not enough to speed up the clearance of mines and explosive devices, emphasized Svyrydenko.
The government is already working to establish the production of the necessary foreign equipment in our country. In particular, the Croatian corporation DOK-ING d.o.o. and the Danish HYDREMA will localize their production in Ukraine – the respective Memoranda have already been signed. “and Danish HYDREMA – Ukrainian and foreign producers have already signed the relevant Memorandums.
