Anticipation mounts as Eurosatory, the world’s premier defence and security expo, is set to get underway this week at the Paris-Nord Villepinte centre in France. Major exhibitors from around the world will assemble at this year’s trade fair to showcase their latest innovations and attract customers.
Unloading the GCS-200 in Paris
Returning to the biannual event is Global Clearance Solutions (GCS), who specialise in removing all sorts of explosive threats such as landmines, Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in post-conflict scenarios. CEO Philipp von Michaelis says that GCS’ presence at Eurosatory is of value, “because after a phase of reduced interaction with clients, suppliers and other stakeholders it is paramount to engage again and discuss current and future industry trends.”
GCS-200 being put in place
Preparation of the GCS booth
This year the company will host a 103m2 booth inside the Swiss Pavilion, where visitors can gain a close-up view of the GCS-200, a remote-controlled, multi-purpose platform built for military, humanitarian and commercial tasks. Equipped with highly durable components the GCS-200 is capable of withstanding harsh climate conditions and notably, Anti-Tank (AT) mines containing up to 15 kg of explosives. This robust machine improves the speed of mine clearance in large areas while helping to save lives and spare communities from explosive threats. Due to its compact dimensions, the GCS-200 can be easily transported on a commercial truck equipped with a hooklift system.
GCS will also reveal their new manipulator, the M-200 and BGT-200 bucket gripper tool, both of which have been designed and fully upgraded in accordance with the German Army’s required specifications. This comes after a series of discussions and a pending contract that could lead to GCS supplying Germany’s military with these assets.
Meeting this challenge meant that our team of engineers had to ensure that our route clearance equipment was able to stand out amongst the competition. Test Engineer Dominic Graser explains how updates have resulted in new features such as the M-200 achieving a far-wider horizontal and vertical reach, an improved working kinematic due to an additional hinge and the muscle to lift items by an extra 1’000 kg. Graser adds that the BGT-200 digging and gripping tool now comes with more flexibility and efficiency for heavy-duty operations.
As the Russia-Ukraine war remains ongoing, discussions at this year’s event will likely focus on finding solutions for the safe clearance of a range of explosive threats. This is a fundamental step to rebuilding communities damaged by conflict while offering people the freedom needed to return to their homes.