Bomb Disposal Truck

Overview

A bomb disposal truck is the mobile base for an explosive ordnance disposal team. It is not an armored fighting vehicle; it is a workshop and equipment carrier built so that a small team can drive to a suspect device, work it remotely, and either render it safe in place or carry it away inside a vessel that contains the blast. The guiding idea behind every system is distance: keep the operators as far from the device as possible, and when they must approach, protect them as well as the suit allows.

The truck combines a Chassis and Crew Cab for transport, an Equipment Box Body holding the gear, an Disposal Robot that does the close work, a Total Containment Vessel for safe removal, and a Command and Control Suite that runs it all from a standoff.

Vehicle and body

The base is the Chassis and Crew Cab. Steel Frame Rail members on a Front Steer Axle and Rear Drive Axle carry the heavy load, with a Turbodiesel Engine and automatic Automatic Transmission sized for urban response. The Crew Cab seats the team with room for gear and reference material on the way to a call, and a Leaf Spring Pack supports the equipment weight.

Behind the cab sits the Equipment Box Body. Its insulated Box Body Shell keeps tools and electronics dry and at stable temperature, and a Roller Shutter on each bay gives fast access. Inside, a Tool Rack holds disposal tools in foam cutouts so the right item is found at a glance. A Loading Ramp lets the robot drive itself on and off, a Handling Crane lifts the heavy vessel, and a Work Awning shades the work area.

The disposal robot

Most calls are handled by the Disposal Robot without anyone approaching the device. Its Robot Chassis is tracked so it can climb stairs and cross rubble, carrying the arm, cameras, and battery. The multi-axis Manipulator Arm reaches into a vehicle or up to a window, and an interchangeable End Gripper holds a device, cuts a strap, or carries the disruptor. Several Inspection Camera units give the operator close views, Servo Motor drives move each joint through a Gearbox Housing reduction, and a Robot Battery gives one to several hours of work per call.

Containment

When a device must be moved, it goes into the Total Containment Vessel. The forged Vessel Shell is rated to hold the blast of a stated net explosive weight without rupturing. A device is placed inside, the sealed Vessel Door is locked, and a Vent and Filter lets blast gases escape slowly while trapping fragments if the item functions. A replaceable Fragment Liner catches fragments, and a sprung Vessel Cradle absorbs road shock during transport.

Render-safe tools

The Disruptor and Tool Kit is what actually defeats a device. A portable Portable X-Ray Set images the inside of a package so the operator can plan the action. The Water-Jet Disruptor then fires a high-speed slug of water driven by a Disruptor Charge Set cartridge, breaking the firing mechanism apart faster than it can function. Water is used because a dense slug carries enough energy to smash a switch or a power source apart yet disperses quickly, so it disrupts the device without setting off the main charge the way a flame or a sharp impact might. The charges are a controlled store and are kept in a separate certified magazine on the truck, away from the rest of the gear. A Hook and Line Kit moves or opens items by remote pull from behind cover, and a Render-Safe Cutter severs a strap without a sharp shock that could trigger a sensitive fuze.

Protecting the operator

When the operator must approach on foot, the Bomb Suit Station protects him. The Bomb Suit is a layered armor garment of 30 to 40 kg that resists blast overpressure, fragments, and heat, topped by a Suit Helmet with a thick visor and clearing fan. A Cooling Vest pumps liquid to draw off body heat, a In-Suit Radio headset keeps him in contact, and a Dressing Frame supports the heavy suit while a colleague fits it.

Power and command

The Power System runs long incidents. A Diesel Generator supplies scene power without idling the main engine, a Battery Bank feeds quiet loads, and an Inverter and Charger recharges the robot and X-ray packs through a Distribution Panel.

The team works from the Command and Control Suite at a safe standoff. The Robot Control Console console drives the robot and fires the disruptor by command, a Display Wall shows robot cameras and X-ray images together, and a Radio Set on a raised Roof Antenna links the team to police command and the public cordon.