Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. – The Army is developing a next-generation, remotely-operated armored back hoe that will allow soldiers to find IEDs in deeper and more difficult terrain than currently possible.
James Rowan, U.S. Army Engineers School deputy commandant, said Wednesday the Army currently uses a device attached to an armored vehicle called a Buffalo that digs for IEDs in potential trouble spots. Rowan said the problem is that the Buffalo does not dig very deep. During a demonstration here for Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, the Buffalo dug up a replica IED buried less than one foot deep.
Rowan said this next generation back hoe is called the Route Clearance Interrogation System (RCIS) and is currently in the research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) phase of development. The RCIS, Rowan said, is a legitimate piece of construction equipment.