Ukrainian troops conducting mine clearance operations recently attached a GoPro to the front of one of their vehicles. The video captures the detonation of a landmine, and you can clearly see how the device not only defeats the mine, but continues to function after the fact.

Devices like this are built specifically to be blown up by landmines and improvised explosive devices. While they're often damaged, the modular design of the platform allows for them to take several hits before needing to be swapped out for a replacement. On top of this, once swapped out the units are easy to repair and put back into service by design.

We had similar designs to this in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the primary difference being that we pushed our mine rollers in the front of an MRAP instead of a tank. It was very common to see a mine roller blown up one day, only to have it returned to service after just a few short weeks of repair. In some instances, our mine rollers would continue to function for the entire mission after hitting a large improvised explosive device.

About the Author

Josh Brooks

Josh is an American writer and former USMC machine gunner with eight years of experience in ground combat arms throughout the GWOT. He is currently based in Texas and specializes in combat footage analysis and digital marketing.Follow Josh at OfficialJoshBrooks.com