Giant Viper
Encyclopedia
The Giant Viper is a trailer-mounted, vehicle-pulled, mine clearance system, designed to be deployed in areas containing land mine
s. It was developed for the British Army
in the 1950s. It was designed to be towed behind a Centurion
gun tank, FV4003, AVRE
(Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers); and also the FV432
Armoured personnel carrier
.
The Giant Viper uses rocket
s to launch a 250-metre-long hose, packed with plastic explosive
, across a minefield. The Giant Viper hoses were filled, in the 1970s, at the Royal Ordnance Factory
, ROF Chorley
.
Once it has fallen, the charge is detonated, clearing a six-metre-wide path through anti-personnel or anti-tank mine
s over a distance of around 200 metres, by sympathetic detonation
.
This system has been superseded by the Python
, employing the same clearance methodology, but using more modern components. Performance is much improved with regards to accuracy of delivery, deployment speed and the cleared path, which is now 230 metres long and 7 m wide. As with the Giant Viper, it was designed to be towed behind an AVRE.
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s. It was developed for the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in the 1950s. It was designed to be towed behind a Centurion
Centurion tank
The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades...
gun tank, FV4003, AVRE
Armoured recovery vehicle
An armoured recovery vehicle is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle- or mine-damaged as well as broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them out of the danger zone for more extensive repairs...
(Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers); and also the FV432
FV432
The FV432 is the armoured personnel carrier variant of the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960s it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting infantry on the battlefield...
Armoured personnel carrier
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
.
The Giant Viper uses rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s to launch a 250-metre-long hose, packed with plastic explosive
Plastic explosive
Plastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is a soft and hand moldable solid material. Plastic explosives are properly known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering....
, across a minefield. The Giant Viper hoses were filled, in the 1970s, at the Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factories was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories in and after World War II. Until privatisation in 1987 they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Defence....
, ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley was a UK government-owned, munitions filling, Royal Ordnance Factory . It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that it, unlike some other similar facilities, would remain open for production after the end of World War II; and, together with ROF Bridgend...
.
Once it has fallen, the charge is detonated, clearing a six-metre-wide path through anti-personnel or anti-tank mine
Anti-tank mine
An anti-tank mine, , is a type of land mine designed to damage or destroy vehicles including tanks and armored fighting vehicles....
s over a distance of around 200 metres, by sympathetic detonation
Sympathetic detonation
A sympathetic detonation , also called flash over, is a detonation, usually unintended, of an explosive charge by a nearby explosion. Sympathetic detonation is caused by a shock wave, or impact of primary or secondary blast fragments.The initiating explosive is called donor explosive, the initiated...
.
This system has been superseded by the Python
Python Minefield Breaching System
The Python Minefield Breaching System is used by the British Army to clear minefields. It replaces the Giant Viper, and has the ability to clear a safe lane in minefields 180–200m long and 7.3 m wide through which vehicles can pass....
, employing the same clearance methodology, but using more modern components. Performance is much improved with regards to accuracy of delivery, deployment speed and the cleared path, which is now 230 metres long and 7 m wide. As with the Giant Viper, it was designed to be towed behind an AVRE.