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 Israel's weapon
development company Rafael is producing a minefield breaching system
called “Carpet”. The system is currently in use by the Israeli Army and will
be fielded with the French Army by 2007. 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 path 100
meters long, within 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. The IDF used the Carper during
the war in Lebanon, neutralizing and clearing Hezbollah strongholds near the
Israeli- Lebanese border. (See
video here)
France will field the Carpet system in 2007. The French
Army plans to buy 12 AMX-B2 EBG combat engineering vehicle, which will be
mount the armored, pyrotechnic anti-tank mine clearing systems (French
abbreviations: SDPMAC) - employing 20 Carpet rockets. The SPDMAC will be
installed on the EBG built by Giat Industries. These armored engineering
vehicles are designed to deploy several types of mine clearing systems, and
the Carpet will add versatility to these capabilities. The vehicles will be
fielded with the French Army combat engineering brigade, which will assign
three vehicles to support each mechanized brigade.
Images on this page: Top: Carpet system firing a FAE rocket. (Picture:
Rafael) Above: Carpet displayed in Eurosatory 2002. Showing rocket and
launcher/container.
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