In August 2023, the Estonian Rescue Association (Päästeliit) donated a single DOK-ING MV-4 demining vehicle to Ukraine along with other equipment such as metal detectors to help civil Ukrainian sappers in locating and destroying Russian mines. DOK-ING, a Croatian company, specializes in remote controlled vehicles and was founded in 1992. The MV-4, shown here, is one of two mine clearing vehicles the company offers with the other being the larger MV-10. As of January 2024, Ukraine had fourteen MV-4 vehicles in service.
Power for the 6-ton (base weight) MV-4 comes from a Perkins 1106 C-E70 TA 6-cylinder, water-cooled, turbocharged diesel engine. The motor produces 250 horsepower but the MV-4 is not built for speed. Maximum speed is 4 miles per hour and for this reason, the MV-4 is transported to the work area by a trailer truck. During demining operations, the speed varies based on the conditions but ranges from as slow as .3 miles per hour to a little under 1 mile per hour. Fuel capacity is 18 gallons of fuel though fuel consumption depends on what the MV-4 is being used for and the terrain it is working on. As such, the consumption can be as little as 1.8 gallons per hour up to 6.6 gallons per hour.
The MV-4 can be fitted with an array of mine clearing equipment but here, a segmented roller is being used. The apparatus consists of 12 individual rollers whose weight causes mines to detonate when the roller passes over them. The clearing width is 6.8 feet. The reason for having multiple rollers is that when a roller (or rollers) is damaged by a mine, it can be easily (and less expensively) replaced rather than having to replace the entire roller had it been a single roller drum (such as those found on steam rollers).
Other demining apparatus include a flail and a tiller. The flail consists of a rotating drum to which are attached 34 chains ending in metal balls. As the flail spins at 900 revolutions per mine, the ends of the chains strike the ground and upon hitting a mine, cause the mine to detonate. Like the rollers, damaged chains can be individually replaced. The flail can clear a path 5.9 feet wide and trigger mines buried up to 11 inches deep. The tiller, like a garden tiller, churns up the ground and will either unearth buried mines or detonate them. Like the flail, the tiller clears a 5.9 foot wide path but can reach down to 1.1 feet. Mines not detonated but exposed are dealt with by sappers.
Being remote controlled, the operator can be just under 1 mile away from the MV-4 though this is the maximum and assumes an unblocked line of sight to the vehicle. Atop the MV-4 is the fully controllable camera system which includes low-light capable cameras, a infrared light, and regular lights to give the operator the best view possible. Other cameras are located on the hull to further provide views during operation. One of them can be seen in the photograph, just under the side light.
To provide a measure of protection, the entire hull is built using Hardox® 450 steel produced by SSAB (Svenskt Stål AB) with thickness ranging from 6mm to 20mm. This protects the engine and other critical systems from mine blasts and low caliber small arms.
The MV-4 is used by the Russian Federation as the Uran-6 and the U.S. Army deploys the MV-4 as the M160.
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