The purpose of the operational evaluation test was to assess the ability of the mine clearing rake (MCR) to enhance the effectiveness of a humanitarian demining mission. To this end, the HD PM purchased an MCR and initiated the testing process.
Operational Demining Tasks Considered for the MCR: Based on the claims made regarding the MCR\u27s performance, three distinct HD phases were considered for assessing the MCR\u27s capabilities. These were the area preparation, demining, and quality assurance phases. Of the three, the area preparation and demining phases were considered poor choices for the MCR since it required driving the primary power source for the MCR, in this case a tractor, over potentially mined ground, creating a significant safety risk for the driver and vehicle. The quality assurance task, while still posing some risk was considered an acceptable risk.
Based on the performance of the Mine Clearing Rake during this operational evaluation test, it should not be considered for use in Humanitarian Demining operations
