One of the most popular and effective methods of deterring the enemy offensive is the organization of mine-explosive obstacles. The need to detect ammunition and make a passage in a minefield can dramatically reduce the rate of advance of enemy troops. To combat such difficulties, troops may need special samples of engineering equipment. Thus, by order of the US armed forces, the M130 SLUFAE self-propelled demining unit was developed in the past.
In the mid-seventies of the last century, the US army once again raised the issue of creating new engineering means to combat enemy mines. The existing systems for this purpose, in general, coped with their work, but their actual performance was below the desired level. For example, tank trawls were too slow, and the extended charges of the M58 MICLIC line were quite difficult to operate. Such means - by allowing the troops to move forward - to a certain extent slowed down the pace of the offensive. The troops were interested in obtaining a certain system that could quickly enter a given area and then clear a minefield in a minimum time.
Engineering vehicle M130 SLUFAE at the landfill. Photo Shushpanzer-ru.livejournal.com
The needs of the army soon led to the start of new development work. The new demining system could find application both in the ground forces and in the navy. The latter intended to use new weapons to support amphibious assault forces. The Marine Corps quickly joined the program, which in the future was to become one of the main operators of the engineering vehicle. Also, certain commercial enterprises of the defense industry were involved in the work, producing the necessary components.
The new Pentagon project proposed the construction of a self-propelled engineering vehicle based on one of the existing cross-country chassis. The latter should have been equipped with a special launcher for special missiles. Rapid destruction of mines in a given area was planned to be carried out using salvo firing missiles with a volume-detonating warhead. It was assumed that several powerful explosions on the surface of the ground could cause detonation or simple destruction of the laid explosive devices.
All the main ideas of the new project were reflected in its name. The program as a whole was called SLUFAE - Surface-Launched Unit - Fuel-Air Explosive. The self-propelled launcher received the designation M130. A special projectile with an "anti-mine" warhead was named XM130. The inert version of the rocket was designated XM131.
In order to save on production and operation of the chassis for the M130, they decided to build on the basis of a ready-made sample. Most of the units were borrowed from the M752 self-propelled launcher from the MGM-52 Lance missile system, which, in turn, was based on the design of the M548 multipurpose transporter. Some of the elements of the finished vehicle remained unchanged, while the armored body had to be altered and supplemented with some new units, in accordance with the new purpose of the vehicle.
The new hull received bulletproof protection, which allowed the vehicle to be used at the front edge. Internal volumes were divided into several main compartments. In front of the vehicle, the engine compartment and the crew's workplaces were located. More than half of the total length of the hull was occupied by an open "body", in which there was a swinging launcher. In the stowed position, it partially lowered between the sides, which to some extent improved the protection of shells.
View from a different angle. Photo Military-today.com
In the front of the hull, a General Motors 6V53T diesel engine with a capacity of 275 hp was placed. With the help of a manual transmission, the torque was transmitted to the front drive wheels. The undercarriage included five medium diameter road wheels on each side, mounted on an independent torsion bar suspension. The design of the hull and the propeller allowed the car to overcome water obstacles by swimming. At the same time, the propeller was absent, and it was necessary to move by rewinding the tracks.
On an open cargo area, protected only by low sides, a launcher for unguided projectiles was mounted. She received an octagonal cage body, inside which tubular guides were attached. The rear of such a body was fixed on a hinge, and the front was connected to hydraulic cylinders. The latter ensured the lifting of the installation to the working position and vertical guidance.
Inside the common body there were 30 tubular guides for unguided rockets. Each such device had an inner diameter of 345 mm. The inner channel of the guide did not have any grooves or other means of preliminary promotion of the rocket. To reduce the overall dimensions of the package, large-diameter guide tubes were installed in several rows and formed a kind of honeycomb structure. It is for this reason that the entire assembly had a specific recognizable appearance.
The package of guides for 30 rockets could only be guided vertically, for which a pair of hydraulic drives was used. Direct fire was excluded: in any case, a certain elevation angle was required for all the guides to rise above the front compartment of the hull. It was proposed to carry out horizontal guidance by turning the entire machine. The lack of accuracy of such guidance systems could hardly be considered a drawback. The dispersal of a large number of relatively powerful ammunition could increase the main characteristics of the complex. Due to this, the demining system was able to cover a larger area with fire and make a larger passage through the minefield.
The new M130 SLUFAE was to be driven by a crew of four. On the march and during firing, they had to be in a fairly cramped open cockpit in front of the hull. Due to the lack of automated loading facilities, they had to leave the car to reload the launcher. This required the help of an ammunition carrier and, if available, a crane.
Despite the large ammunition capacity and high firepower, the M130 self-propelled launcher was not too large and heavy. The length of the vehicle reached 6 m, width - 2, 7 m. Due to the large launcher, the height in the stowed position approached 3 m. The combat weight was determined at 12 tons. The specific power was about 23 hp. per ton made it possible to obtain sufficiently high mobility characteristics. On a good road, the maximum speed reached 60 km / h with a power reserve of up to 410 km. The car could overcome various obstacles and swim across bodies of water.
Installation at the time of the shot. Photo Shushpanzer-ru.livejournal.com
An engineering vehicle of a new type was supposed to use rockets designed specifically to destroy explosive devices in the ground. At the same time, the XM130 product included several off-the-shelf components that were mass-produced. The large cylindrical warhead of the rocket with a diameter of 345 mm was a BLU-73 / B FAE volumetric detonating ammunition with a flammable liquid and a low-power charge for spraying it. A remote fuse was responsible for the detonation. Attached to the rear of such a warhead was the body of a Zuni unguided rocket with a solid-propellant engine, which was distinguished by a smaller diameter. An annular stabilizer was located on the shank of the housing with the engine.
The XM130 rocket had a length of 2.38 m with a diameter of the largest parts of 345 mm. The launch weight is 86 kg. Of these, 45 kg accounted for the warhead charge. The XM131 training missile was also developed. It differed from the base product only in an inert warhead of equal mass. It should be noted that the XM130 and XM131 products turned out to be heavy enough for the Zuni rocket engine. As a result, both ammunition did not have high flight characteristics. The flight speed reached only tens of meters per second, and the normal firing range was determined at 100-150 m.
The operating principle of the XM130 rocket was quite simple. It was launched along a ballistic trajectory to a predetermined area with mines. At a height of several feet above the ground, the fuse gave the command to detonate the spray charge. The latter destroyed the body of the warhead and sprayed flammable liquid over the surrounding space. Upon contact with air, the liquid instantly ignited, as a result of which a volumetric explosion occurred. Calculations showed that such an explosion at a low altitude would force the mines in the ground to detonate or collapse.
In 1976, the participants in the SLUFAE project built an experimental engineering vehicle M130, and also prepared a stock of rockets with a volume-detonating warhead. All these products had to go to the test site and show their real capabilities. Upon receiving high characteristics, the military could adopt a new complex for service. It was assumed that the M130 SLUFAE demining installation will find application in the engineering units of the ground forces and the marines. In addition, the possibility of creating a launcher for ships or landing boats was not ruled out.
Already the first tests of the prototype led to mixed results. The M130 vehicle had high mobility and could arrive as quickly as possible in the combat area. Preparing to fire and reloading after a volley for a new attack also did not take much time. From the point of view of operation, the complex was very convenient and simple.
However, the combat characteristics turned out to be very specific. It was confirmed that space-detonating charges weighing 45 kg are indeed capable of making passages in minefields. XM130 missiles fired at various types of mine-explosive barriers, organized with the help of various mines in service at that time. In all cases, such an attack ended with at least partial success. The overwhelming majority of mines exploded or broke into pieces, losing efficiency. A salvo of three dozen missiles cleared a large area of the terrain, but at the same time did not leave behind large craters that interfere with the passage of equipment.
The process of loading rockets using a separate crane, February 8, 1977. Photo by US Navy / National Museum of the US Navy
If necessary, the XM130 shells could be used as engineering ammunition to destroy obstacles or enemy targets. In this case, the SLUFAE vehicle became a specific version of the multiple launch rocket system with similar tasks, but different firepower and different combat characteristics. It was confirmed that space-detonating charges can be effectively used against various structures or light fortifications.
It is curious that the authors of the SLUFAE project limited themselves to the development of only two missiles, and only one of them was intended for combat use. Smoke, incendiary, high-explosive fragmentation or other warheads for XM130 missiles, as far as is known, have not been created. However, it cannot be ruled out that they could appear later. At some point, the military could order new ammunition that could expand the range of tasks to be solved. However, this never happened.
During the tests, it was found that the available ammunition does not have high flight performance. The 86-kg XM130 rocket, launched from a ground launcher, turned out to be too heavy for the engine from the Zuni product. As a result, the firing range of the demining installation did not exceed 100-150 m. This circumstance seriously hampered the combat use of the complex as a whole, and also limited its real capabilities. Moreover, difficulties could manifest themselves in solving any proposed tasks.
The M130 SLUFAE would have had to go to the fore to fire. The lack of powerful armor and an open cockpit led to certain risks. In addition, there were 30 missiles with flammable liquid on board, which further reduced combat survivability. A single bullet or shrapnel hitting the package of guides was capable of provoking a fire. And the installation of sufficient reservation could worsen the mobility and other characteristics of the machine.
In practice, the depth of the enemy's obstacle could exceed the firing range of missiles. Because of this, the troops would have to use several vehicles in one sector or lose the pace of the offensive in anticipation of reloading and a new salvo of the same installation. In the case of firing at a stationary enemy target, the task of destruction could be solved with just one salvo. However, in case of a miss, the attack could also drag on or require the work of several complexes.
Demining plant model. Photo M113.blog.cz
Tests of the prototype M130 SLUFAE demining installation continued until 1978. During this time, specialists from the military department and the defense industry managed to comprehensively study the work of equipment and its ammunition, determine the effect of a volumetric explosion on mines in the ground and above-ground structures, as well as conduct a number of other studies. Probably, one or another attempt was made to improve the main characteristics of the equipment, first of all, the firing range.
The original engineering tool for overcoming mine-explosive obstacles and destroying enemy fortifications showed ambiguous characteristics. It coped well with its tasks, but in a real combat situation, the potential was sharply reduced, and serious risks also appeared. Now the Pentagon had the floor. The command of the combat arms, which acted as customers of the project, had to decide its further fate.
American military leaders, after examining the test results of the M130, came to two main conclusions. Firstly, they considered that the SLUFAE demining installation in its current form was not of interest to the army, navy or marines due to its low real characteristics. It should not have been adopted and put into production.
At the same time, the very principle of clearing minefields with the help of several volumetric explosions was considered interesting and promising. Scientists and designers had to continue working in this direction and soon present a new sample of this kind. The next demining system program was called CATFAE - Catapult-Launched Fuel-Air Explosive.
The exact fate of the only M130 SLUFAE prototype is unknown. After the completion of the tests and the closure of the project, it could be sent for disassembly. However, he could still find application as a test bench for promising volumetric explosion ammunition. However, regardless of further events, to our times, as far as we know, this machine did not survive. At a certain moment, it was dismantled as unnecessary, without becoming transferred to one or another museum.
The need to quickly pass through enemy minefields in the mid-seventies led to the start of the SLUFAE project. Soon, a prototype of a specialized launcher and a significant number of missiles appeared. According to the test results, the military decided to abandon the promising engineering vehicle, but not the original principle of demining. The work was continued and even led to some results.
