Aardvark JSFU (Joint Service Flail Unit) Mark 4 is a British-made Mine flail vehicle built by Aardvark Clear Mine Limited of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
The JSFU flail system was developed in Aberdeenshire by David Macwatt of Elgin, Scotland and George Sellar & Son of Huntly (system designers were James (Barney) Hepburn, Pat McRobbie and Alistair Birnie) with the cooperation of Ford Motor Co, Basildon. George Sellar & Son owned a number of patents concerning the rotor and chain design and electronic depth contouring system and manufactured the flail assembly. The armoured vehicle was manufactured by Glover & Webb of Southampton until their acquisition by GKN who continued to armour vehicles for a period before Penman Engineering were given the contract.
Aardvark Clearmine Ltd was acquired in 2008 by Penman Engineering Ltd of Dumfries, and is now a wholly owned subsidiary of that company. Operations remain located in Insch, Aberdeenshire.
Aardvark clearance machines have been used by the military and humanitarian mine clearance organisations in Europe, Africa and in the Middle and Far East. Aardvarks have also been chosen by the British and American forces for landmine clearance in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Contents |
The vehicle consists of an armoured cab with a front-mounted flail system. The system has 72 chains with 66 striker tips.
Users of the AARDVARK JSFU system: