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Raf cvr(t) bomb disposal


robin craig

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Please see the link to the picture and words on the page following the link.

 

Can anyone shed any more light on the exact role of the vehicle?

 

I know that in Canada there was a modified M113 for EOD work with a high powered weapon to detonate UXBs, is this the same intent?

 

http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=80&Itemid=116

 

 

R

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Please see the link to the picture and words on the page following the link.

 

Can anyone shed any more light on the exact role of the vehicle?

 

I know that in Canada there was a modified M113 for EOD work with a high powered weapon to detonate UXBs, is this the same intent?

 

http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=80&Itemid=116

 

 

R

 

During the later cold war years and for a few years after, each operational Strike Command & RAF Germany airfield had a Spartan & Scimitar for use by the station's EOD teams. The CVRT was to give some level of crew protection, the 30mm Rarden could be used against bomblets etc when clearing a minimum operating strip.

 

TED

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Eden Camp has a Spartan on display which was donated by RAF.. I also remember seeing one on static display at the Waddington airshow 2 or 3 years ago. i dont think there is anything special about them - they just offer more protection than your average landy...

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  • 4 months later...

Yes the RAF Bomb Disposal did use cvrt Scimitar and Spartan......we called them The Pengy tank......us RAF Regt types took the p 1 ss out of thier crews, they used them as a heavily bombed airfield would present some obsticles and the Rarden would be good at distant detonation of ordenance

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  • 4 months later...

Hi Robin,

 

I served in the Royal Engineers and am ex-33 Engr Regt EOD (Bomb Disposal) for 5 years, and prior to that served in 23 Engr Regt in Germany as was a CVRT(T) driver.

 

I have first hand experience of using an RAF CVR(T) "Spartan" on "Op Crabstick" which involved locating the pipe mines on disused WW2 airfields with ferrous metal detectors and then using remote control excavators to dig up the explosive filled pipes and flushing the explosive cartridges out with water.

 

The RAF "Spartan" had what I can only describe as a goldfish bowl on the back decks which was to enable the operator (in this case a plant operator) to visually see the excavator as it exposed the pipe mines in the middle of Goodwood race track (which is the Op I was on).

 

As for using the 30mm CVR(T) Scimitar Raden main armament to hit munitions, this wasn't how Royal Engineers EOD did things (trying to be tactful). When I served, we used a Barrett CAL .50 to clear munitions such as cluster bombs (UK BL755 and US Rockeye) as accuracy is imperative as you don't want the munition to "high-order" (explode), you just want to disable the munition so that it didn't function as designed so it can be disposed of by using an explosive charge (PE4).

 

The reason why you don't want a munition to "high-order" is that (for example) a cluster bomb can penetrate between 190mm and 250mm of armour (and a CVR(T) Scimitar or Spartan does not provide that level of protection.

Best regards,

 

Martin

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Hi Robin,

 

I served in the Royal Engineers and am ex-33 Engr Regt EOD (Bomb Disposal) for 5 years, and prior to that served in 23 Engr Regt in Germany as was a CVRT(T) driver.

 

I have first hand experience of using an RAF CVR(T) "Spartan" on "Op Crabstick" which involved locating the pipe mines on disused WW2 airfields with ferrous metal detectors and then using remote control excavators to dig up the explosive filled pipes and flushing the explosive cartridges out with water.

 

The RAF "Spartan" had what I can only describe as a goldfish bowl on the back decks which was to enable the operator (in this case a plant operator) to visually see the excavator as it exposed the pipe mines in the middle of Goodwood race track (which is the Op I was on).

 

As for using the 30mm CVR(T) Scimitar Raden main armament to hit munitions, this wasn't how Royal Engineers EOD did things (trying to be tactful). When I served, we used a Barrett CAL .50 to clear munitions such as cluster bombs (UK BL755 and US Rockeye) as accuracy is imperative as you don't want the munition to "high-order" (explode), you just want to disable the munition so that it didn't function as designed so it can be disposed of by using an explosive charge (PE4).

 

The reason why you don't want a munition to "high-order" is that (for example) a cluster bomb can penetrate between 190mm and 250mm of armour (and a CVR(T) Scimitar or Spartan does not provide that level of protection.

Best regards,

 

Martin

 

 

 

 

Top info thanks for posting.. I presume the goldfish bowl must have had some kind of ballistic properties..!

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