AUSA 2012 : Pearson Engineering Unveils 'Route-Clearing' Concept

A British company is using the AUSA 2012 convention to display its new 'route-clearance' vehicle concept.

The Pearson Engineering Route Opening and Clearing Capability (PEROCC) is a large four-wheeled engineering vehicle designed to be fitted with a range of route-clearing equipment including rollers and and a powerful articulated arm which can be used to investigate suspicious objects. 

Operated by a crew of three, a driver, gunner and commander, the concept vehicle is designed to address what Pearson considered to be weaknesses in current route-clearing methods. Pearson already builds rollers for mine and IED clearance, but such devices are then attached to vehicles that are unable to deliver the ground pressures required to defeat some of the most destructive mines.

'PEROCC can put down twice amount of ground pressure compared to other route proving vehicles, this means it can defeat the Soviet-made TM-62 family of mines,' said Ian Kelley, sales and marketing manager at Pearson Engineering. While not prolific, the mine is one of the most challenging to defeat because of the high pressures required to set it off.

The PEROCC vehicle has been designed to operate under a high tempo of operations and key components have been designed to be frangible and quickly replaced. If one of the wheels is blown off, the vehicle can recover itself and be quickly repaired. Videos being displayed at AUSA show components such as the claw subjected to explosions, but because of the frangible design, only the claw is damaged allowing engineers to install another claw onto the undamaged and still serviceable arm.

PEROCC includes what Pearson calls 'Blast-Off Wheels'. In the event of a blast under one of the vehicle wheels it will readily detach from the axle, thus reducing the transfer of blast energy into the vehicle, reducing harmful acceleration effects on the crew and enabling rapid replacement or repair.

A variety of tools are interchangeable from under armour are available including a ripper claw, bucket, grapple and ground penetrating radar array. These are stowed on what the company calls a pivot steer loader at the rear of the vehicle.

The three-seat crew compartment is protected from beneath by an armoured double V-shaped hull for blast deflection. The upper hull is protected by applique composite armour panels which provide blast and ballistic protection.