Czech Republic procures smart anti-tank mines
8 December, 2024 Sentry anti-tank mine. Photo credits: Forcit Defense Company STV GROUP will supply the Czech army with new generation smart shaped charge anti-tank mines with a remote control system.
CZ Defence reported on this. The Czech company STV GROUP has signed a seven-year framework agreement with the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic to supply the SENTRY intelligent anti-tank mine system. The deal's total value is up to CZK 4.08 billion (£172 million).
The contract also includes personnel training and the supply of training mines for training.
Sentry anti-tank mine. Photo credits: Forcit Defense Company
The supply will be done in cooperation between the Czech STV GROUP and the Finnish company Forcit Defense, which is the developer of this system.
"By supplying the SENTRY anti-tank mine system, Czech engineers will receive revolutionary capabilities not only to destroy enemy armored vehicles but also to safely and comprehensively manage minefields. This system includes not only high-tech anti-tank mines but also an entire intelligent weapon system, complete with communication and communication systems for remote and close programming," Ivo Strejcek, Director of International Cooperation at STV GROUP, commented in an interview with CZ Defence.
SENTRY smart anti-tank mines
The SENTRY anti-tank mine system is based on a 10.5-kilogram anti-tank mine with an encrypted MESH connection for remote control. The minefield management system allows for both direct and remote control from a distance of several kilometers, adjusting both all mines in the selected area and each mine individually.
In addition to the communication system, the mines are also equipped with a GPS system to accurately display the location of the minefield and warn the operator if the mine's location changes. The mine is fired with the help of a control unit and can be remotely defused to allow friendly units to pass through minefields. The anti-tank mine is equipped with seismic and magnetic sensors to detect targets and is equipped with a warhead that can penetrate up to 140 mm of homogeneous steel armor.
If a target is detected, the mine can independently calculate the time of detonation to inflict maximum damage on the target.
To counteract unauthorized interference, the mines are equipped with non-retrieval mechanisms that detonate the mine in case of an unauthorized demining attempt.
Boxes with Sentry anti-tank mines of the Lithuanian Army.
September 2024, Lithuania.
Photo: Lithuanian Ministry of Defense
Lithuania has also recently purchased such mines to create minefields on the border with Belarus and the Kaliningrad region of Russia.