Digger D-250

Built by a charity, not a company: the Digger D-250 comes from the Fondation Digger (Digger DTR) in Tavannes, Switzerland, an association since 1998 and a non-profit foundation since 2003.

The tracked demining machine weighs about 12 t according to a SWEDEC test report and training material (the GICHD catalogue gives no weight), measures 376 × 232 × 204 cm, stretches to 575.5 cm with its tool and ships in two containers.

A six-cylinder John Deere diesel of 250 hp burns about 30 l/h from a 240 l tank, giving roughly 8 hours of work; ground pressure is 0.56 kg/cm², gradeability 35 degrees, operating temperature up to +50 °C. Tools include a flail or tiller working from +5 to −25 cm with automatic sensor-based depth control, plus bucket, pallet forks, excavator arm with grabber, dozer blade and winch; armour protects against mine detonations without a stated class.

The operator works by radio from up to 500 m with camera views. The foundation reports deployments in some 17 countries including Chad, Sudan, Angola and Cambodia, and on 29 August 2023 one D-250 was handed to Ukraine under a Swiss aid package (VBS/Van For Life) worth 1.2 million CHF that also covered a tracked carrier, a truck trailer and three years of spare parts – no unit price can be derived, so pricing is on request.

The commercial Swiss rival GCS-200 has a wider tiller and a larger documented fleet, but the D-250 remains the only machine in this section built by a non-profit.