Mar.04 (released by China Military Power Mashup and written by Jiang Xinghua) -- Editor's Note: According to statistics from the Headquarters of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, 65 million to 110 million landmines lie buried in 68 countries, killing or injuring about 26,000 people each year. This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's ratification of an amendment to the United Nation's Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices. China has endeavored to eliminate problem landmines around the world by using unique tools created by Chinese scientists and engineers.
It's not surprising that the civilization that used landmines in military operations 500 years ago has the know-how to disarm such weapons.
A battalion of Chinese U.N. peacekeepers to be deployed to Lebanon's southern border area left their base in southwest Yunnan Province on Feb. 16. They were selected from an engineering regiment of Chengdu Military Command that has participated in landmine clearance operations on the Sino-Vietnam border and three foreign mine-sweeping missions. The latest China-made equipment carried with the battalion to Lebanon has been unveiled at their base.
Remote-controlled Robot Detector
The self-propelled robot will be mainly used to find landmines and unexploded ordnance in humanitarian missions. It finds possible landmines with a revolving arm mounted with a metal detector. Equipped with three pairs of caterpillar tracks, the robot can overcome vertical obstacles of 20 centimeters as well as go up and down stairs. It has a maximum working speed of 100 meters per hour on open terrain and can work on a slope with a maximum gradient of 25 degrees or an area with vegetation less than 10 centimeters high.
The robot's controller watches live video images on his laptop computer relayed via wireless signal from the robot's cameras. When the robot finds a suspect mine, it will stop, spray marking liquid on the surface and send an alert to the controller. The machine is waterproof and able to operate for six hours before recharging.
March 7th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
WW2 is such a facinating topic. From the evilman who started it to the heroes who protected the world. I hope none of it is ever forgotten
March 15th, 2010 at 4:45 am
Just proves the old adage. It's an ill wind that blows no good. - You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. - Abraham Lincoln 1809 - 1865