Question to Israeli Engineers...

[fantassin]

The last issue of the French RAIDS magazine reports that the French army will procure 12 SDPMAC Israeli fuel air explosive mine breaching systems.

Any infos or pics on that system? In French service, they should be mounted on AMX30 MBT chassis.

[IDFM203]

I want to start off by saying I was not in the engineering corp. nor was I a combat engineer, however I believe you are referring to the "Carpet" (http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/mines/carpet/Carpet.html) system that is made by the Israeli company Rafael .

Here are a few pics and info of this from the site israeli-weapons.com (http://www.israeli-weapons.com/index.html)


http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/mines/carpet/carpet.gif

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/mines/carpet/puma_c.jpg

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/mines/carpet/carpet_r.jpg

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/mines/carpet/carpet_rf.jpg

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/mines/carpet/carpet.jpg

The last pic was taken at the Eurosatory in 2002.


For rapid and effective clearing of mine fields, Rafael is unveiling a new minefield breaching system called "Carpet".
The system is a unique implementation of fuel-air explosive technology. It is an autonomous add-on kit that can be quickly fitted in the field to any armored vehicle. For minefield breaching, up to 20 rockets are fired in a rapid sequence. The number of rockets used is tailored for the type of target engaged.

At the impact point, each rocket disperses a spray of fuel above the target area, to form the fuel-air explosive cloud. The detonation creates a strong impulse over a wide area, which triggers most mines, regardless of terrain, foliage or man-made obstacles. The explosion clears a safe passage, wide enough for safe movement of all combat vehicles. Firing a salvo of rockets from a distance of 65-165 meters from the forward edge of the minefield, Carpet enables breaching a considerable path in one minute.

Pre-programmed for automatic, semi-automatic or manual operation, Carpet is operated remotely from inside the vehicle's compartment, under cover from enemy fire. The system can also be reloaded rapidly in the forward area. Unlike the Vipers, firing line charges across the minefields, Carpet rockets contain only liquid fuel, which is flammable but not explosive in regular operating conditions. Therefore, if Carpet rockets are hit in their canisters, they do not cause any danger to the system, vehicle or nearby troops.

Fully loaded, the Carpet launcher weighs only 3.5 tons. It can carry up to 20 x 265 mm rockets, each weighing 46 kg. Fully functional training rockets can also be fired with the system for training exercises, safely simulating the entire operation (without fuel-air explosion). The system can be towed, mounted on the rear of the armored fighting vehicle (as shown on the IDF Puma AFV at EuroSatory 2002) or installed inside an APC.

Main Features

Fast and efficient minefield clearing.
No prior preparation required.
Easy and safe to operate.
Maximum crew safety.
Operational in all terrain.
Path marking with rocket fins.


Technical Data

Launcher (MBT mounted option)
Total weight (fully loaded): 3.5 tons
Launcher dimensions (including mounting frame): 3.0mx2.0mx1.32m
Rocket pod dimensions: 0.92mx1.32mx2.4m
Mounting frame dimensions: 3mx1m

Rockets dimensions & weight

Weight: 46kg
Length: 1390mm
Outer diameter: 265mm
Fins span: 350mm
Firing range: 65m-165m
Firing modes: Automatic, Semi-automatic and Single shot

Launcher installation options:

Mounted on the rear of a MBT (easy removable from tank to tank)
Towed behind an APC
Installation inside an APC

I hope that answers any questions you might have had :D


P.S. can you provide a link to that RAIDS article if that have it online.

Shalom :D

[fantassin]

Thank you for the quick answer and good pictures.

Sorry, RAIDS has no website...it's sad because they really do have a lot of very good infos and pics. In the last copy, there is an article on the Stryckers in iraq with good exclusive pics taken by the in house reporter for example.

But they seem to have a hard time getting access to the IDF because they rarely have articles on them.

Anyway, in the article, they were saying that each armoured and mecanized brigade engineer's Bn should receive three of those SDPMACs.

[Midav]

Very nice!

Smart idea using FAE to detonate mines.

[IDFM203]

Thank you for the quick answer and good pictures. No problem :D , you happened to have asked and posted right when I clicked on this site.

As for RAIDS, I have heard about this mag and that it used to be in English as well.

Its too bad they have no website (or that it is not in English as well ;) ), I mean from the reputation of this mag, they would certainty get a lot more readers.

Oh well…………………..




Anyways, I just have a couple of questions, we have gone over every now and then different Israeli products that are in use in the French military, I am just curious if you know of any French products that we use in the IDF (and I mean after 1967 and the French embargo….so skip past the mirage and all those types of things for I am referring to more recent times).

Also a little off topic but relevant. I am just curious, is the French embargo on selling arms to Israel in 1967 lifted and if so when did that happen?

(I ask in the hope of getting a direct yes or no answer or something close to that, so as to avoid any long political discussion with was not the intention of my question)

Shalom :D

[Apogee]

I'm pretty sure this system doesn't work on French mines (ones with diaphragms in them)

[fantassin]

I know the embargo has been lifted for a while but I am not aware of French equipment used by the IDF.

The French army uses also the ELIRAZ bore sighting device for the FAMAS and Mini UZIs with silencers for its army divers.

I have also seen old pictures of RAID policemen (French police national SWAT team) with Galil ARM in 7,62 and GIGN snipers with Matilan type urban camouflage.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Anyone got an idea how much over pressure these FAE warheads generate and for how long, is that the Bellville diaphrams USMA_SCUBA there is one mine that locks up during sudden over pressure but I am not sure who produces it maybe South Africa or Italy.

[Aezrets]

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/files/videos/Carpet.wmv