South Africa’s Mine Sweeper: US Army, USMC Orders VMMD Systems, Parts

Husky w. trailers(click to view full) $7.2 million USMC order for VMMD spare parts. (March 24/10) Detecting and defusing IEDs and mines has been a preoccupation of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The South Africa-based RSD, a division of Dorbyl, has developed a vehicle mounted mine detector (VMMD) system that it is supplying to the US Army and US Marine Corps through its US marketing arm Critical Solutions International (CSI). The VMMD system is a route-clearing system that includes a mine detection vehicle, detonation trailers with a prime mover, and support packages. The VMMD is based on the earlier Interim VMMD system, which consisted of a Meerkat mine-detection vehicle, and a Husky prime mover and detonation trailer system. Meerkat The Army was the first US service to purchase the VMMD system. It has to date acquired 250 systems, which include more than 500 vehicles. Recently, the US Marine Corps and the Canadian military ordered VMMD systems of their own. The VMMD’s primary function is to detect metallic explosive hazards and protect troops and equipment conducting explosive hazard missions to assure the mobility of the force at the strategic through tactical level. The employment strategy for the VMMD system involves […]