Keiler (mine flail)

Keiler main flail (Minenräumpanzer Keiler) is mine-clearing vehicle developed by Rheinmetall in Germany to meet German Army requirements. It is conversion of M48 Patton medium tank. The main role of the Keiler vehicle is clear a lane through minefields to let soldiers and vehicles pass safely. A deployable mine flail system is been fixed to the front of the vehicle, being used to clear both anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. 24 Vehicles of this kind were produced between 1997-1998 for the German Army.

Design
Keiler is built on M48 Patton medium tank hull. Developers removed the turret of the Patton and fitted the vehicle with a heavy-duty rotor-powered mine flail, a rapidly rotating cylinder mounted between two arms in front of the vehicle consisting of two shafts with 24 chains terminating in large metal "feet". In traveling mode the mine flail folds over the vehicle.

In common with other mine flails, the spinning cylinder swings the chains around, bringing the feet into contact with the ground, thus simulating the force exerted by a person or vehicle passing over the ground. If a flail strikes the ground above a burred mine, the impact will cause the mine to safely detonate. The vehicle can clear a lane 4.7 m wide and 120 m long in 10 minutes. An automatic system fixed on the rear of the hull marks the cleared lane.

The keiler has no defensive weapons except a smoke grenade dischargers. vehicle is ran by a crew of two (commander and driver).

Propulsion
Original engine of the M48 Patton has been replaced with a more powerful, German MTU MB 871 Ka 501 liquid-cooled turbocharged Diesel engine. This develops 986 hp in traveling mode, and 1092 hp when driving the mine flail. A Renk HSWL 284 M transmission was fitted. The Keiler uses the same Torsion bar suspension as the M48 Patton tank, and has 6 wheels on each side.