First entering service in 1988, the M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC) is a
rocket
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
-projected explosive line charge which provides a "close-in"
demining
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing land mines from an area. In military operations, the object is to rapidly clear a path through a minefield, and this is often done with devices such as mine plows and blast waves. By contra ...
capability for maneuver forces of the United States Army and Marine Corps.
It is effective against conventionally
fuze
In military munitions, a fuze (sometimes fuse) is the part of the device that initiates function. In some applications, such as torpedoes, a fuze may be identified by function as the exploder. The relative complexity of even the earliest fuze d ...
d
land mine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
s and, when detonated, it provides a lane 8 meters by 100 meters (8.75 yards by 109 yards).
Technical specification
The MICLIC system consists of an M353 3½ ton (3,175 kg) or M200A1 2½ ton (2,268 kg) trailer (or M200 tracked trailer) chassis, a launcher assembly, an M147 firing kit, an M58A3 line charge and a 5-inch (127mm) MK22 Mod 4 rocket. The line charge is 350 feet (107 meters) long and contains 5 pounds (2.27 kg) per linear foot of
C-4 explosive.
In the event a MICLIC fails to detonate normally, it can be manually activated by time-delay fuses every few feet along the length of it. The M147 Firing Kit can also be employed from other combat engineer vehicles, namely the
M60 AVLB
The M60 Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge (AVLB) is an armored vehicle based on the M60 Patton main battle tank's hull and used for the launching and retrieval of a scissors-type bridge. The AVLB consists of three major sections: the launcher, the v ...
and the
M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle
The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) is a U.S. military mine- and explosives-clearing vehicle, based on the M1 Abrams chassis, equipped with a mine plow and line charges. Its first large scale use by the US Marines was in the joint ISAF-Afg ...
.
Use
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...
On September 15, 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense announced supply of mine clearing equipment as part of the security assistance package. In November 2022, the Ukrainian military showcased a photo featuring use of M58 MICLIC in Ukraine.
See also
*
Demining
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing land mines from an area. In military operations, the object is to rapidly clear a path through a minefield, and this is often done with devices such as mine plows and blast waves. By contra ...
*
Mine-clearing line charge
A mine-clearing line charge (abbreviated MCLC or MICLIC and pronounced or "''mick-lick''") is used to create a breach in minefields under combat conditions. While there are many types, the basic design is for many explosive charges connected on ...
References
External links
M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC)- via FAS
Mine warfare countermeasures
Weapons countermeasures
United States Marine Corps equipment
Military equipment introduced in the 1980s
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