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I have a question about mines:

I have read about the different types and how there are even ones that are undetectable by mine sweepers (being made of plastic or something). I have watched stories of the men who risk life and limb (and often lose some or all) to find, disarm and remove them. I believe that they are still doing this in Kuwait and all over the Balkans and now Afghanistan. You see these men laying or kneeling on the ground, carefully poking around with tools to unearth the mine so as to expose it for disarming.

My question for my education is why do they need to take this risk to remove these devices one by one like that?
For instance, at the airport in Afghanistan some marines were injured when they stepped on perhaps the plastic mines that had gone undetected.....
Could not several Caterpillar D10 bulldozers have their operator cabs armor plated (as well as other vulnerable areas) and with an extended pair of long arms push large, wide, spiked rollers out in front of them to roll over and pierce and churn up to set off all buried mines and booby traps? If the anti-tank mines take out the rollers, then just bring out some replacements, because they would be so far out front of the bulldozers that the machines would not be affected. Several could cover large areas like combines reaping large wheat fields. All of the non-operators (personnel outside of the armored cabs) would be well away from the reach of the explosions and flying shrapnel and those in the armored cabs would be well protected.
As for all those old aircraft and other things left behind that may be booby trapped with explosives, could not one of those tracked claw-picker like they are using at the WTC site also with armor plating shake or bash those pieces of equipment from the distance of the arm to set off any explosives safely?

I'm sorry if I sound ignorant or naive, but I have wondered about this land mine and booby trap problem for a long time, but don't know any military personnel with experience in this field to ask. So, I ask in a forum where intelligent people come and give intelligent, informed answers.....to the ignorant to remove all ignorance.

Johnny Walker should be used to test land spaces for mines.

Could not several Caterpillar D10 bulldozers have their operator cabs armor plated (as well as other vulnerable areas) and with an extended pair of long arms push large, wide, spiked rollers out in front of them to roll over and pierce and churn up to set off all buried mines and booby traps?

I've wondered the same thing. I will await responses from those more knowledgeable than me.

Large vehicles for de-mining anti-personnel mine fields are available commercially and have been used in such places a Mozambique. I saw one at a counter-mine conference in CA, it was about twice the size of a Chevy suburban, heavily armored, and could switch from rubber tires(for road transport) to sprung steel wheels. There was a video of it being used in an anti-personnel field, which was really something. One anti-tank mine in the mix though would ruin the crews day.

You're neither ignorant or naive. Your proposal would work just fine. In fact, the US Army, I don't have personal knowledge of the Marines, use an older model tank equiped with "mine plows" just as you described to clear mine fields. We used them in the Gulf War to open paths thru the Iraqi minefields. The major problem with them is that they are really good only for clearing small areas. You couldn't use them to clear the entire country for example. Since they could have been used around the airport and weren't this raises the question of why not? Well, for one thing tanks are heavy and I don't think the runways had been cleared to the extent to get the really heavy lift aircraft in. I imagine they will be sent there soon. Until then, it's watch where you walk.

BTW, in WWII, the Brits attached a cylinder to the front of special tanks. This cylinder was parallel to the front fenders of the tank and had numerous chains attached. These tanks were called "flails" and were used to clear mines by "flailing" at the ground.

M2 Mine Roller

M2 Mine Plow (right)