Shield Dynamics

Tier 3 · Close-range detection

Cobra

A small tracked ground unit for close-range subsurface mine detection. Cobra searches assigned lanes within a suspected hazardous area and reports the position of buried objects for confirmation and clearance.

Request a briefing Specifications

FIG. C-2 · COBRA · IN THE FIELD · NOT TO SCALE

Cobra unit crossing rough ground, side view Line drawing of a Cobra unit, seen from the side and heading right. It is made of four rigid, box-shaped segments joined in a row, each on its own short track. It moves from flat ground toward rough, rising terrain with low grass, rocks, a bush and a small tree.
Cobra general arrangement: side, plan and front views, with lane search diagram Engineering drawing of the Cobra ground unit. The side elevation shows four rigid tracked segments in a row with a data-link antenna and a forward detector head held just above the ground, sensing a buried object below the surface. The plan view shows the four linked segments, each with tracks either side, and a wide detector plate at the front. The front view shows the narrow body between two tracks with the detector plate ahead. An inset shows three Cobra units searching parallel strips of a lane, with the searched area shaded and two contacts marked. 112233445566AABBCCDD DATA LINK ANTENNAVIA TORTOISE RELAY 4 × RIGID TRACKED SEGMENTS DETECTOR HEADCLOSE-RANGE SUBSURFACE BURIED OBJECT ASIDE ELEVATION DIRECTION OF TRAVEL BPLAN VIEW CFRONT ELEVATION C-01C-02 SEARCHED ▮ CONTACT ◆ LANE 04 DLANE SEARCH · COVERAGE LOG
TitleCobra · General arrangement
Dwg no.SD-C-001
ScaleNTS
RevA
Sheet1 of 1

01 · Role in the system

Closest to the hazard, so people aren't

Cobra does the work that currently puts deminers closest to the hazard: searching the ground itself. It is deployed by Tortoise at the edge of the work area and follows search lanes planned from Eagle's survey data. Several Cobra units can work in parallel on separate lanes.

Detections are tagged with position and reported back through Tortoise, so operators can review results as the search progresses rather than after it ends.

02 · Design principles

Built to be sent in first

DP-01

Small and light

A compact, low-mass platform reduces ground pressure and keeps the unit expendable relative to the people it replaces.

DP-02

Tracked mobility

Tracks give steady, controlled movement over uneven and soft ground, which supports consistent sensor coverage along a lane.

DP-03

Subsurface sensing

The sensor payload is aimed at detecting buried objects at close range, including items with low metal content.

DP-04

Autonomous lane search

Cobra follows its assigned lane and records coverage, so gaps in the search can be identified and revisited.

03 · Specifications

Parts list

SD-C-001 · Rev A
01Platform typeSmall tracked unmanned ground vehicle
02Primary functionClose-range subsurface detection
03DeploymentCarried and released by Tortoise
04CommunicationsVia Tortoise relay

Cobra is in active design. Detailed specifications will be published as development progresses.

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