The number one threat to Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan is the Improvised Explosive Device (IED), which has been responsible for almost 40 percent of U.S. casualties in Operation Iraqi Freedom. There are numerous ways to activate IEDs, ranging from crude timers to command wires to remote activation via cell phone. However, one of the most common activation methods is a pressure-sensitive trigger that relies on targets to activate the IED by rolling over it themselves as they would, for example, in a vehicle. Commonly called the 'Victim-Operated IED,' it is typically buried beneath the many long roads that U.S. and Coalition Forces patrol on a daily basis. One of the newest weapons in our arsenal against this threat is the SPARK, a modular mine roller system designed to be mounted on tactical wheeled platforms. It is currently being used in Iraq on three platforms: the M114/1151 armored High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), the RG-31, and the M900 5-ton truck series. SPARK is managed by Product Manager IED Defeat/Protect Force (PM IEDD/PF), which is a part of the Project Manager Close Combat Systems (PM CCS), Program Executive Office Ammunition (PEO Ammo), based at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ. Two SPARK configurations are currently available in theater. The track-width front roller configuration attaches to the frame of the RG-31 and the HMMWV, the two vehicles most commonly used for deliberate route-clearance operations. The full-width configuration attaches both a front and rear roller to the M900 5-ton truck series. This version is intended for use on vehicles that are part of fast-moving logistical convoys.
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