MK154 Mine Clearance Launcher
Primary function: Land Mine Clearance System
Manufacturer: Diesel Division, General Motors of Canada, Ltd.
Host Vehicle: Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAVP7A1)
Weight: 3,040 lb (1,368 kilograms)
with shipping container: 8790 lb (3991 kg)
fully loaded (includes 3 Linear Demolition Charges and 3 rockets): 10,690 lb (4,853 kg)
Vehicle Height (with MK154 installed): 127.95 in. (3.25 meters)
Unit Replacement Cost: $155,000
Mission: To breach a lane through a minefield during an amphibious assault and subsequent operations inland. The MK154 Launcher, Mine Clearance (LMC) is part of the Mark 1 Mod () Mine Clearance System which also includes three M59 Linear Demolition Charges (LDCs), three MK22 Mod 3/4 Rockets and an AAVP7A1. The MK154 LMC, mounted in an AAVP7A1, can deploy three linear demolition chargers from the water or land. Each linear demolition charge is 100 meters long and will be the initial minefield breaching asset used. Because the LDC is only effective against single impulse, non-blast resistant, pressure-fused mines, a mechanical proofing device must also be used in a lane that has been explosively breached.
Features: The MK154 LMC is an electric and hydraulic system which can be installed into any AAVP7A1. All of the hydraulics are self contained. and the electrical power is provided through the host vehicle slave receptacle. The system has the capability to house and fire three LDCs using three MK22 Rockets. The over-pressure created by each of the LDCs will clear a path 16 meters wide and 100 meters long through a minefield consisting of single impulse, non-blast resistant, pressure-fused mines. The width of the lane and the ability to neutralize mines is dependent upon the mine type and fusing.
Inventory: Inventory is 75 MK154 LMC kits. Fielding for 62 kits was accelerated for use in Operation Desert Storm. Currently, there are 12 MK154 LMC kits in the Mobility/Countermobility Platoon of 2d and 3d Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) Battalions.
Background: The LDC has been in the US inventory since the 1960's, with wartime use in Viet Nam. The early employment, used during the Viet Nam war, was with the LVTE tractor. When the LVTP7 family of vehicles replaced the LVTP5 family of vehicles, an engineer variant of the amphibious tractor was not procured. Throughout the late 1960's and into the late 1970's, the only way to employ the LDC was with a ground-mounted system. Due to the difficulty in moving and employing the LDC in this configuration, the MK155, Trailer Mounted Mine Clearing Line Charge Launcher was developed so that the LDC could be towed behind a tracked vehicle. The trailer-mounted LDC solved the mobility problem for ground operations but did not have an application for amphibious operations. Therefore, the MK154 LMC was developed.
Sources and Resources
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/mk154.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Friday, January 08, 1999 6:59:57 AM
