"Could" they? Sure - some could But they're probably not - overall - the best tool for the job (the mine-clearing flail that mounts to the front of an M1 Abra

"Could" they? Sure - some could But they're probably not - overall - the best tool for the job (the mine-clearing flail that mounts to the front of an M1 Abrams is far more cost (and time) effective (at least on major routes) A robot's probably better than a well-trained soldier in most situations - if a robot gets blown up, it's only a dollar figure, not a dollar figure, time to train, grief among the unit, informing family and friends, etc The question will really come down to "why 'defuse' vs 'detonate'?" And then, once the "why" has been answered, are the follow-ons - how soon, how "accurately", how many, etc