Re: [DS] Minefield clearing pondering

Beth asked:

>I read an article in New Scientist recently about a proposed mine type
>that rearranges itself so it can't be cleared. This set me to
wondering >about whether you could use an air-burst to clear
minefields. Is it >plausible? 

Today's combat mineclearing techniques only clear "safe lanes" through
the minefield, usually by pushing them aside (mineplows) or by rolling
out a long explosive charge on the ground and detonating it (MICLC).
(Note to Doug: Yes, MICLCs *are* destructive to the terrain...) As long
as you can fire your mine-clearing artillery rounds with enough
precision, there's no reason why you couldn't use them in the same way
as an MICLC.

"Hopping mines" will be able to move so as to close the lanes again,
unless you destroy just about every mine in the entire field - DARPA's
requirement that the minefield "self-heals" within 10 seconds indicates
that the hopping is intended to defeat lane-clearing, not what Jay
calls "persistent" clearing. Destroying all mines in the field with
airbursts will take a *LOT* of artillery fire to do - think WW1
artillery barrages, and of *their* effect on the terrain. Don't use
such methods in Flanders unless you've got grav or hover tanks <g>

The question is - which is more expensive and complicated: enough
"hopping" mines to make an effective barrier, or a bunch of Hornets
which detect and engage their targets up to some 300 meters away?

Later,

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
- Hen3ry