The primary function of Carpet is to clear a safe passage through minefields, enabling the safe movement of combat vehicles. It operates by firing a salvo of up to 20 rockets, which disperse a fuel spray over the target area. This creates a fuel-air explosive cloud that, upon detonation, generates a strong impulse over a wide area. This impulse is effective in triggering most mines, regardless of the terrain, foliage, or man-made obstacles. The explosion clears a path up to 100 meters long within one minute, providing a significant operational advantage in minefield clearance. The system is notable for its relatively lightweight design, with the fully loaded Carpet launcher weighing 3.5 tons. It can carry up to 20 x 265 mm rockets, each weighing 46 kg. Training rockets, which simulate the operation without the fuel-air explosion, are also available for safe training exercises. Carpet can be towed, mounted on the rear of armored fighting vehicles, or installed inside an
armored personnel carrier (APC). One of the significant deployments of Rafael Carpet was by the IDF during the
Second Lebanon War, where it was used for neutralizing and clearing
Hezbollah strongholds near the Israeli-Lebanese border. It has also been used in the
Gaza war. The French Army's plan to incorporate the Carpet system involves its installation on AMX-B2 EBG combat engineering vehicles, which are designed to deploy various mine clearing systems, adding versatility to their capabilities. ==References==