U.S.-made M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge Systems Spotted in Ukraine

The United States appears to have delivered M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC) systems to Ukraine.

The M58 was seen in a photo shared by Ukraine’s military on Telegram on November 6. The photo shows a U.S.-produced M113A3 tracked armored personnel carrier towing an M58 MICLIC.

On Sept. 15, the Pentagon announced a $600 million military aid package to Ukraine that included mine clearing equipment. An official statement issued by the DoD did not say which type of equipment will be handed over to Kyiv.

The M58 MICLIC system is used to create a safe corridor in a minefield. Its action principle is very similar to the Soviet-era UR-83P mine clearing system.

M58 consists of an M353 or M200A1 utility chassis trailer, a launcher, an M147 firing kit, an M58A3 line charge, and a 127 mm MK22 Mod 4 rocket. The charge is launched by Mk22 rocket motor and explodes on the minefield, clearing a strip 100m long and 8m wide. The launcher is reusable and can be recharged with a new charge in 30 minutes.