The engineering and demining unit of the 78th Field Army (Northern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army) cleared a minefield using a robotic ground platform equipped with portable (back-mounted) mine-clearing systems. The 78th Field Army’s approach integrates unmanned ground platforms with portable mine-clearing systems (flexibly mounted and transported like backpack systems) to quickly create breaches. By employing automated systems and ground robots in highly dangerous environments littered with landmines left over from World War II, China has successfully enhanced field safety and reduced casualties among engineers and military personnel. The primary objective of implementing these advanced Chinese technologies is to replace infantry and experts with robots in the most hazardous areas, thereby ensuring the safety of Chinese soldiers and experts.
Here, Egypt can benefit from the official success of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in introducing ground and aerial robots for demining operations through technology transfer, localizing the industry, joint training, and integrating intelligent systems into Egypt’s national demining plans. This approach helps accelerate the clearance of millions of remaining mines in the Northwest Coast, the Western Desert, and the Sinai Peninsula and drastically reduces human risks and material costs. Egypt can also benefit from the Chinese experience in employing ground robots for mine removal to expedite the clearing of the Western Desert and the Sinai Peninsula, reducing casualties and operational costs. These systems enable the opening of safe passages through harsh sandy and rocky terrain, paving the way for development, agricultural, and urban projects in Egypt. Egypt can utilize this model through the following practical axes:
– First: Egyptian technological and field utilization of the engineering and mine clearance technology of the 78th Field Army (Northern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army) in addressing the geographical and environmental challenges of the Egyptian desert
1) Resisting sand movement and changing terrain: Wind and sand dune movement in the Western Desert, such as in the El Alamein area, has buried World War II mines at varying depths or displaced them. Tracked robots equipped with advanced sensors and ground-penetrating radars can conduct continuous scanning without being affected by heat stress or sandstorms that hinder human teams.
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2) Flexibility of transport and rapid deployment: Reliance on lightweight and portable mine clearance systems mounted on ground robots that are easily transported to rugged and mountainous areas or soft dunes that are difficult for heavy armored mine sweepers to access.
3) Overcoming harsh sandy and rocky terrain: Modern Chinese robotic platforms rely on multi-purpose tracked chassis, such as unmanned mine-clearing vehicles, as well as ground platforms equipped with portable detonation and dismantling systems to quickly and efficiently clear safe passages in challenging environments.
4) Detecting mines buried at varying depths: The movement of sand dunes in the Western Desert and El Alamein in Egypt causes World War II-era mines to bury at greater depths over time. Here, intelligent Chinese drones equipped with advanced sensors and ground robots enable precise mapping of buried metal and plastic mines before field intervention.
5) Protecting lives and minimizing casualties: Remote control of robots equipped with high-precision robotic arms or rotary plows and sweepers allows for the neutralization and destruction of explosive devices without directly endangering Egyptian military engineers.
6) Reduced operating costs and faster completion: Integrated systems combining ground robots and logistical drones can survey and clear vast areas in record time, reducing long-term operating costs compared to traditional manual methods.
– Second: Enhanced safety and improved field clearance efficiency
1) Protection of Egyptian military engineering teams: Old mines buried in Egypt for decades are corroded and rusted, making their detonators highly sensitive and unstable. Robots handle the initial detection and remote detonation phase, sparing Egyptian soldiers and experts the risk of sudden explosions.
2) Continuous operation and rapid access: These systems can operate around the clock to create safe and precisely defined corridors through dense minefields, paving the way for heavy engineering equipment to complete the comprehensive clearance process.
3) Creating accurate digital maps of Egyptian minefields: Modern robots allow for the precise recording of the coordinates and type of discovered mines and the digital documentation of cleared routes, ensuring that the land is completely free of remnants before being handed over to civilian authorities.
– Third: Technology Localization and Joint Manufacturing between Egypt and China in the Field of Mine Clearance
1) Industrial Partnership with China: Egypt possesses a sophisticated military industrial base, such as the Arab Organization for Industrialization and military production factories, and has a proven track record of cooperation with Chinese defense companies in transferring unmanned systems technology. This cooperation can be leveraged to localize the assembly and development of ground robotic platforms specifically designed for the Egyptian desert environment.
2) Integration with Drones (Drones): Just as the Chinese military applies the principle of joint operations between ground robots and aerial drones for reconnaissance, Egypt can integrate drones equipped with thermal and magnetic cameras to survey vast desert areas and identify suspicious locations, then guide ground robots to precisely address them.
– Fourth: China’s support for Egypt’s urban and economic development plans through its assistance in clearing and removing landmines and remnants of war
1) Accelerating land allocation for national projects: Clearing the Western Desert is linked to expanding agricultural land, such as the New Delta project, implementing renewable energy projects, and exploring for oil and mineral resources, as well as urban and tourism development along the northwestern coast. Therefore, introducing modern Chinese robots reduces the timeframe required for Egypt to secure these vast areas.
2) Reducing long-term costs: Despite the initial cost of purchasing or manufacturing Chinese landmine removal robots, they reduce long-term costs for medical insurance, heavy armor maintenance, and the logistical expenses of large field teams.
– Fifth: Proposed Cooperation Mechanisms Between Egypt and China in the Field of Demining and Removal of War Remnants
1) Joint Manufacturing and Technology Localization: Egypt possesses an active research and student base in the design of mine-detection robots, as demonstrated in competitions such as the Minesweepers competition at the Zewail City of Science and Technology. These local Egyptian skills can be combined with Chinese industrial expertise to manufacture robots specifically designed for the Egyptian desert environment at a competitive cost.
2) Training Programs and Engineering Exchange Between Egypt and China: The Engineering University of the People’s Liberation Army of China organizes specialized international training programs in the use of robots, minefield reconnaissance aircraft, and laser neutralization systems. Egyptian engineering personnel can be sent to benefit from these advanced courses and apply them in Sinai and the North Coast of Egypt.
3) Expanding Existing Development Partnerships: China has previously provided grants and mine-detection equipment to support the Egyptian National Plan for the Development of the Northwest Coast. This collaboration could be expanded to include the supply of advanced robotic platforms and artificial intelligence systems for analyzing geographic data from minefields.
– Sixth: The direct economic and developmental benefits for Egypt from cooperation with China in the field of demining and mine clearance
1) Freeing up Egyptian land for national projects: Clearing the remaining areas in the Western Desert and Sinai in Egypt opens the way for expanding the construction of smart cities and new urban communities, similar to the experience of New Alamein City in Egypt.
2) Supporting agricultural reclamation and tourism investment: Removing war remnants allows for the utilization of vast areas suitable for agriculture and the extraction of mineral and petroleum resources, in addition to securing coastal and tourist areas to attract local and foreign investments.
Accordingly, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s development of ground robotic systems for mine removal has marked an advanced stage in its military modernization, signifying a significant advancement in smart warfare weapons. This modernization integrates artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, and big data systems into military operations. This transformation is no longer limited to China’s frontline combat units but has extended to the Chinese defense industry, leveraging China’s strategy of integrating the military and civilian sectors. The importance of this infrastructure becomes particularly evident when commercial technologies are transferred to the military domain. This is the same approach China adopted to integrate the military and civilian sectors, leveraging commercial robotics companies, artificial intelligence developers, sensors, and LiDAR technologies. These technologies were then adapted for both military and civilian use, such as landmine clearance. This bridges the gap between commercial development, combat deployment, and civilian modernization. Egypt can leverage this approach to implement its new urban development plan in areas contaminated by landmines left over from World War II. This would support President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s urban and civil modernization plan, particularly in sparsely populated desert regions of Egypt.
