Although the landmines They were invented in the 16th century by a Spanish officer, Peter Navarrothe first machines deminers They did not arrive until the Second World WarThe best known in that conflict were the tanks with flails Scorpion; they used the chassis of a tank Sherman and were equipped with a rotating chain system, known as mining flailwhich struck the ground in front of the tank to detonate the mines before it passed over them. Like most technologies, deminers have evolved considerably in the 79 years since the end of that conflict and the new ABV Keiler from the manufacturer Rheinmetall It is the best example of what it is a next-generation deminer.
Rheinmetall calls it New generation breaching armored vehicleABV for its acronym in English. The Keiler ABV uses a heavy rotor-driven flail system for creating rails through enemy minefields for troops. It is equipped with rotating mine-clearing elements and other features that help it quickly remove unwanted elements on the terrain. The action of the rotating blades at the front of the ABV can detonate any hidden mineswhich creates a safe space for vehicles and troops to pass through.
The Keiler ABV weighs 63 tonshas a maximum speed of 65 km/hclimbing capacity of 90 centimeters and to cross trenches of more than 2.5 meters. The vehicle is based on the chassis of the armored vehicle Kodiak and belongs to the family Leopard 2Additionally, existing Kodiak tanks can be converted to a Keiler NG-like configuration using equipment kits.
Rheinmetall first publicly presented the Keiler ABV at the Eurosatory 2024 trade fair in Paris last June. This August, Rheinmetall showcased the capabilities of the Keiler Next Generation at a display in front of guests from various armed forces, procurement authorities and industry players at the Bergen military training area in Norway. The demonstration also included the use of the Pearson mine plough on the Keiler NG.
The Pearson mine plow has more than 4 meters wide and can be used by the vehicle to clear mines at a speed of up to 250 meters per minuteIn addition, the Keiler NG can quickly replace the mine plow. with a bulldozer blade to remove anti-tank obstacles, fill trenches or create emplacements and prepared positions if necessary.
The most interesting feature of the Keiler was shown in the second part of the live demonstration, which included the use of the Plofadder detonating cord system (explosive viper) with rocket support. Launched from the vehicle, the Rheinmetall Denel Munition Plofadder can open a 160-meter-long and 9-meter-wide gap in minefields and obstacles in a matter of minutes.
The Plofadder 160AT anti-tank minefield breaching system was developed to provide the ability to breach areas with anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in the shortest possible time. The Plofadder 160AT MkII consists of a long linear charge that is deployed over a minefield propelled by a rocket, before being detonated. During the demonstration, Keiler showed how you can use the Plofadder to clear paths in a matter of minutes.
The vehicle also features an integrated crane, a rapid lifting system, creating ROSY smoke screens and the remote controlled weapon station Natter 12.7 for self-defense.
The ABV Keiler can be operated by a crew of only two people and the company is already considering adding features of remote control. Adding an active protection system is also in the plans for the Keiler.