Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 6 Issue 1 The Journal of Mine Action Article 17 April 2002 Mine Clearance Techniques and Technologies for Effective Humanitarian Demining Maki Habib School of Engineering and Science, Monash University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal Part of the Defense and Security Studies Commons, Emergency and Disaster Management Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Recommended Citation Habib, Maki (2002) "Mine Clearance Techniques and Technologies for Effective Humanitarian Demining," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 6 : Iss. 1 , Article 17. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol6/iss1/17 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Habib: Mine Clearance Techniques and Technologies for Effective Humanitarian Demining several orders of magnitude to achieve a Demining Approaches the type of mine used and the time substanrial reducrion to the threat of AP and Techniques needed to clear land varies enormously, Mine Clearance Techniques mines in a reasonable time frame and ar depending on local conditions. an affordable cost. The demining methods currendy and Technologies for Effective The priorities for research and de­ being used are not safe for those clearing The Use ofAnimals, Insects and velopment in the humanitarian demining the mines or for rhose who must occupy Bacteria fi eld require strategies that should start the land after it has been cleared. The So far, dogs are considered the best Humanitarian Demining with the following needs: methods are neither cost effective nor ef­ detectors of explosives. Their sensitivity • To develop reliable and accurate ficient. Mine clearance itself can be ac­ to this kind of substance is estimated to fUl because of their unknown position and techniques that can enhance the perfor­ complished through different methods be 10,000 rimes higher than that of a To improve mine clearance performance and to enhance safety of demining because they are often difficult ro detect. mance of the demining process and al­ wi rh varying levels of technology, but the man-made detector. Specially trained personnel, there is a need for efficient humanitarian mine action equipment. low efficient area detection of mine fields. most laborious way is still the most reli­ dogs are used to detect the characteristic Accurate and reliable mine detection techniques and technologies capable Humanitarian Mine T here is an urgent need to recognize and able. We should favor technologies that smell of explosive residue that emanates of area detection and clearance are crucial for successful demining. Clearing "Demining" reliably locate mine fields and isolate can be manufactured in mined countries, from mines regardless of their composi­ Phases them by defining proper signs and limits that are transferable and that provide tion or how long they have been implanted. by Maki K. Habib, School of [1,2,5]. AP mines are harmful because of ro make the public aware and to avoid employment and economic infrastructure This enables the dogs to detect mines Engineering and Science, their unknown position and because of T he landmine clearance process can fu rrher accidents. where it is most urgendy required. with low metal content that are undetect­ Monash University, Bondar the variety in explosive load, the activa­ be divided into the following basic parts: • To have qual ity training programs able by metal detectors. In addition, be­ Sun way, Selangor, Malaysia tion means, the action range and the ef­ I. Locating and idemifying a mine that fit the needs of local environments. Manual Demining cause dogs do nor respond to metal, soil Such training programs need to integrate fect on human bodies. Landmine tech­ field in order to map it. Manual Demining is a procedure in or non-explosive objects, they eliminate cultural, environmental and operational Introduction nology ranges from simple to highly tech­ 2. Preparing rhe mine field for the which mines are manually detected and much of the time-consuming shortcom­ nical devices. Pressure, tripwires, tension clearance operation, which can include considerations when developed. neutralized by a human deminer [1 - 5]. in gs of manual detection techniques. • To enhance the safety of deminers The removal and the destruction of or pressure release, electromagnetic influ­ cmting vegetation, collecting metal frag­ The deminer fi rst scans the ground with Mine detection dogs ca n work in almost by providing them with suitable cloth­ all forms of dangerous banlefleld de­ ence and seismic signals can deronate ments from the surface, etc. a metal detector. Then the deminer uses all types of terrain. They are also easy to ing and equipment and by isolating them bris-particularly landmines-are vital mines. Some landmines are "hardened" 3. Locating and marking individual a prodder in order to feel, locate and iden­ transport and highly reliable, and rhey fro m direct physical contact with rhe mine. prerequisites for any region to recover against neutralization by explosives, and mines within the identified area. tify the object causing the signal, after can screen land up to five times faster than • To enhance the performance of rhe from their impact. These tasks involve a other landmines have ami-disturbance 4. Removing the threat of the de­ which the deminer carefully uncovers it. manual deminers. South Africa and Af­ sensor and the deminer. great deal of effort and time, and high mechanisms. In add ition, a mine may tected mines by neutralization (either re­ When operating in this way, the detec­ ghanistan have reported success, but it • To have light, reliable, easy-to-use risk, all of which result in high clearance have a booster charge to enhance the moval or detonation). tion phase still relies heavily on metal was more in locating the edges of mine ha ndheld multi-sensor systems to support cost per surface unit. Many conditions power released by the detonator to a level 5. Enforcing quality control measures. detectors, whereby each alarm needs to fi elds than in finding individual mines. clearance in difficult and narrow environ­ have to be observed, such as soil, topol­ that is enough to initiate the main charge. There is a need to verify that the be carefully checked until it has been fully Dogs can be overwhelmed in areas with ments (woods, uneven terrain, residen­ ogyand type ofcontaminatio n [1-7, I 0, 11] . Mines may have been in place for many cleared area is free from mines with a high understood and/or its source removed. dense landmine contamination. More­ tial, etc.) and vehicle-based systems ro The major effect of mines is to deny years; they may be corroded, waterlogged level of confidence. Most mines contain enough metal to be over, they can only work for short peri­ support mine clearance in open areas. access to land and irs resources, causing or impregnated with mud or dirt, and A clearance priority raring should be detected by this method; however, only ods each day (about a couple of hours a • To use information and commu­ deprivation and social problems among they can behave quite unpredictably. given to each mapped mine field by tak­ about one in every I 000 signals detected day). Dogs can become confused if rhey nication technologies to enhance contact, the affected populations. In addition, the Some mines were buried deep in the soil ing into consideration factors of a social belongs to a mine or UXO. In general, can smell explosive coming from several experience, research, planning and to medical, social, economic and environ­ in order to prevent more organized forces and economical nature, as well as those the ground being cleared is often satu­ sources at once. The effectiveness of the share results and data among all parries and mental consequences are immense. The from finding them with metal detectors. related to weather and ground conditions. rated with metal fragment, shrapnel and dogs depends entirely on their level of personnel within the demining community. United Nations Department of Human Deeper mines may nor detonate when the It is necessary to associate rh is srep with cans, making manual demining methods training, the skill of their handlers and • To have mechanized vegetation Affairs (UNDHA) assesses that there are ground is hard, but rain may later soften the a mine awareness program, which aims slow, extremely dangerous and expensive. on their correct use. cutting; however, it would be better to more than 100 million mines that pose ground to the point where even a ch ild's at reducing civilian casualties caused by Complicating matters more, about one-third Trained rats may be the best and find a technology rhar can detect and mark significant hazards in more than 68 coun­ footstep will set them off. Modern mines and other explosive devices. Lo­ of all AP landmines currently deployed cheapest form oflandmine detector. Rats mines without having to cut vegetation. tries around the world. Many types of landmines are fabricated from sophisti­ cating rhe contaminated land will help are metal free. The accuracy of metal de­ have certain advantages over dogs. T hey • To speed up the mine detection mines exist around the world, including cated non-metallic materials and incor­ to separate the danger from people and tection depends heavily on the level of have a better sense of smell, are cheaper • Demining in process with an array of sensors that can Afghanistan. more than 650 types of AP landmines porate advanced electronics.