The Husky VMMD (Vehicle-Mounted Mine Detection) is a configurable counter-IED MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle, developed by South African-based DCD Protected Mobility and American C-IED company Critical Solutions International. It was designed for use in route clearance and de-mining operations, the Husky is equipped with technologies to help detect explosives and minimize blast damage. It was initially deployed in the 1970s. During the South African Border War, the South African Defense Force used the Husky extensively to clear mines from military convoy routes in Namibia and Angola.
In the mid-1990s, DCD Group/South Africa and Critical Solutions International planned to bring the technology to the U.S. and underwent a two-year foreign comparative test program with the United States Department of Defense and follow-on modifications and testing. In 1997, CSI was directed to produce and deliver production systems under the U.S. Army Interim VMMD Program. The Husky is equipped with countermeasures like jamming systems to help disrupt the effect of IEDs. The Husky’s armor is also able to withstand damage from basic explosives.
The display Husky is a Mk III variant, a modern single-occupant Husky model. This platform is integrated with pulse induction metal detector panels and overpass tires that enable operators to regulate air pressure to reduce the risk of initiating land mines without causing detonation. The Mk III, like other Husky models, is engineered in a modular, frangible configuration. The Husky remains in production today and is used with armed forces of nearly 13 nations around the world.
