ANGOLA
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Abnormal: more than 90 tons of machinery and equipment on the roads of southern Angola. |
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The Xangongo Camp was found in a good state. After a few hours the MCC-System was ready to take off. |
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First tests were untertaken in an area close to the camp without mine thread. |
MCC harvests AT mines in Xangongo [2]
The challenge
Logistics for this trial are quite extensive with over 90 tons of equipment
being transported by several trucks from Walvis Bay to the MgM Base in
Ondjiva. Material handling on the Angolan side is not quite as easy as
in the sea port however, and local ingenuity was employed to manipulate
the load into the MgM maintenance facilities in Ondjiva.
See
the picture gallery of the MCC arrival in Africa
The first days. A brief report:
The MCC was deployed from Ondjiva to Xangongo within one day.
The transport from the MgM central camp Ondjiva to the operational camp
Xangongo had the normal problems like missing VHF, a flat tire and a burst
hydraulic pipe which were overcome by the MgM crew.
See
the picture gallery of the MCC on the road
Containers and welding machine were placed in the camp which was found in good order. There was fuel, electricity and water (even hot showers). It took only a few hours to unload the MCC, its additional equipment and reset the tool into an operational state.
13 November 2002:
Initial tests on day one on a large area next to the camp showed the system
functioning well, but slow. The extremely hard bakened top layer of the
so called Shanas (wide areas which become overflooded during rainy season)
differs significantly from US DoDs sandy test area in AP Hill. Washington
D.C. After performing two rows of approximately 500 meters, the results
and possible improvements of the procedures, necessary security distances
etc.were discussed and determined by the MgM-OPS director Hendrik Ehlers.
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In this chapter you will find additional information on the following topics: |
•
Refugees in their own land |
•
Angola report 2001 (PDF) |
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