Remote Gas-Detonation Demining Device
Ukraine faces a mine contamination crisis of unprecedented scale — 174,000 km² of territory must be checked, with up to 9,000 km² requiring full clearance. At current capacity, demining could take decades. Developed by the National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute” (KhAI) with support from the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, the Remote Gas-Detonation Demining Device offers a fundamentally new approach: using the detonation properties of gas mixtures to remotely neutralise buried munitions — without any contact.
How it works
The device mounts as a modular section on any tracked platform. An array of detonation tubes fires precisely timed gas-detonation pulses at the ground surface, generating pressure impulses strong enough to trigger landmines from a safe standoff distance. Cannon spacing and pulsation frequency are engineered to ensure ≥2-fold overlap of the demining lane, neutralising even mines with multiple-actuation fuzes.
Key advantages
- No contact. Remote explosive action eliminates physical contact between the vehicle and the detonator, dramatically reducing shock and vibration loads and protecting system components from blast damage.
- Full lane coverage. Cannon spacing and pulsation frequency provide ≥2-fold overlap of the demining lane, ensuring neutralisation of mines equipped with multiple-actuation fuzes that single-pass systems miss.
- Scalable & integrable. Designed to integrate with any tracked platform. Throughput scales linearly by adding detonation tube sections, with efficiency and cost competitive against alternative demining technologies.
Prototype & testing
The team has progressed from TRL 1 (CFD feasibility study confirming required pressure values and combustion mode) through TRL 6 (final CAD design and production drawings), including successful live prototype detonation tests.
About the project
Developed within the TechBridge × Sikorsky Innovation Challenge: Innovation for Humanitarian Demining, project 2023.04/0027, with grant support from the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.
Contact: Olga Shypul, Dr.Sc., full professor — o.shipul@khai.edu