INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MINE CLEARANCE TECHNOLOGY 2-4 July Copenhagen, DENMARK TECHNOLOGY FOR MINE MINE CLEARANCE OPERATIONS NEW APPROACHES TO MINE DETECTION Hap Hambric Research and Development in Support of Humanitarian Demining The view from where "The rubber meets the road" The United States' Humanitarian Demining Development Program 1. The present paper is intended to provide a technical survey of Humanitarian Demining equipment and technologies, in particular the on-hand and potential technologies and equipment recently developed by the United States, and future endeavours to develop precise sensors needed to perform high sensitivity, high resolution, detection and quality assurance functions during demining operations. This information must be available before we can provide the doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures necessary to increase the safety, and speed of humanitarian demining operations. Before we can design and optimize detection systems to allow this, we must evaluate and understand the physical characteristics on the mines we will seek; and we must be aware of the effects of individual landmines and their methods of initiation. We cannot successfully counter the Landmine threat unless the detection devices we use are both highly efficient and safe to use around the mines we are seeking. Landmine developers enjoy freedom of action in developing new mines and fuse systems. Developing new detection devices to meet these challenges requires us to maintain a very broad technical interest and rapid pace. Safe detection of mines is a world-wide problem. There is presently no technical "silver bullet" to provide very high probability of detection yet maintain low false alarm rates. 2. The proliferation and widespread employment of landmines have the power not only to threaten to neutralize an army's high technical advantages in firepower and mobility; they degrade the abilities of military forces involved in the conduct of operations other than war,such as peace keeping or providing humanitarian aid. Detection technologies hold the key to any future upgrade in the safety and efficiency of humanitarian demining and operations other than war or, for that matter, any military operation. 3. Operation Restore Hope, in Somalia, highlighted the vulnerability of United Nations personnel and tactical vehicles to even the most primitive mines. For these reasons landmines have become the obvious weapon of choice in such situations. Mines provide irregular forces and terrorists with an ideal economy of force, enabling them to strike at opposing forces while minimizing or eliminating exposure to an opponent's overwhelming firepower and mobility. 4. The mine threat in these "Operations Other Than War" is often very complex involving the presence of Improvised Explosive Devices as well as conventional mines. Mines are routinely the primary cause of vehicle losses in a guerrilla environment. As shown in Mogadishu, they can be used to create dramatic, politically unacceptable losses to peace keeping forces. The cold war notion of "acceptable losses" in the context of a Low Intensity Conflict is obsolete. The political impact of high visibility national casualties places very high stress on civilian and military leaders to the point of putting their operations in jeopardy. INTRODUCTION 5. At the end of an armed conflict there will be considerable debris and unexploded ordnance throughout the battle area. Because of the danger and deterrent to refugees wishing to return to their homes, all forms of battlefield debris including landmines must be removed or destroyed as soon as possible. A country recently recovering from war may find it difficult to initiate such a vast undertaking. To aid in remediation of mines from their homeland, many national governments and non-governmental organizations place significant emphasis on conducting demining and mine awareness programs, as well as prepare the region to take on its own demining program by providing teams to conduct demining training for indigenous personnel. 6. Humanitarian Demining operations are recognized by their efforts to allow the population of the infested region to return to their homes in safety to rebuild the infrastructure and economy. United Nations experience has shown that extensive Landmine, unexploded explosive ordnance and obstacle clearing operations will be necessary to allow the population to return and begin rebuilding and reclaiming their land. Demining activities may be undertaken by internal or external military forces, non-governmental organizations or contracted commercial enterprises. Demining of the area to return it to an acceptable pre-hostility condition must be completed before any other recovery tasks can be initiated. The means to accomplish these tasks today are both slow, unsafe and manpower intensive. Many nations have taken it upon themselves to develop new equipment and technologies to be applied to humanitarian demining. These technologies will be developed and evaluated, and optimized to provide near term, workable, Countermine solutions, while long lead development items are brought on board. The United States is using this development strategy to expedite and facilitate near term design, production, fielding and integration of Humanitarian Demining Countermine equipment and supporting systems; while Countermine mission research programs and joint endeavours with other services and countries come on line to provide successful high technology solutions to complement the near term developments under way now. The Countermine mission requirements and equipment discrepancies to be solved for demining missions are listed below. Each element identifies a specific Countermine-related equipment or functional element which addresses one or more discrepancies. Although this list contains an integrated capability, Detection is the key to all other successes. This topic will be covered more completely later in this document. EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR HUMANITARIAN DEMINING 7. The following are equipment and technologies for humanitarian demining: (a) Technology database of world-wide Landmine-defeating equipment to allow engineering development and mission planning to overcome known threats. (b) Sensor-fused multi-spectral detectors for detection of recently and long-term emplaced surface laid/buried/shallow water mines. (c) Identifying and/or Breaching safe lanes through large area and lines of communication emplaced minefields to facilitate the start of demining operations. (d) Clearing/De-mining point or large area minefields and terrain or facilities to reclaim them for safe use. All mines and explosive ordnance/mat‚riel are destroyed in place using new non-explosive capabilities. (e) Electronically reporting/recording, and physically marking individual mines, minefields and unexploded ordnance to provide a record of their location and composition to facilitate planning operational demining missions and providing near term mine awareness information for the local population. (f) Need for a comprehensive interactive database capable of being upgraded to include current and newly discovered mines. This database must have real-time capability for two-way communication between the technical support assets involved in sustaining and keeping the database up-to-date and the "mine action centres" and demining cadres in the field. The main purpose of the database is to provide rapid turn around of completed mine hardware analysis to allow accessing selected data fields to facilitate training host country demining cadres on the types of mines they will be facing, and providing mine awareness training for the local population. Success in this area will require the integration of: (g) Modular high sensitivity, high resolution multi-sensor packages able to be flown on fixed, lighter than air and rotary winged aircraft with the ability to transmit visual image data from cameras. (h) Mine and ordnance detectors combined with precise position locators and transmitters to allow search personnel to map, mark and report the location of mine infested areas to clearing teams so they can proceed directly to suspected locations. The hand held device would allow predetermined messages and codes representing specific mission situations to be included in the transmission. (i) The ability to use available data links to transmit new mine data directly to the support element responsible for data analysis. (j) Explosive compound "sniffers" and "tasters" comprised of highly trained dog/human teams or chemical/electronic devices to locate the approximate position of landmines; as well as non-metallic booby traps and explosives hidden in potential troop and high value areas; or to validate the presence of explosive compounds with other sensor alerts. (k) Remotely controlled mini-flails for detecting and providing a quality assurance factor regarding anti-personnel mines in the vicinity of proposed personnel paths. They would detect and activate simple pressure, trip wire and sensor activated anti-personnel mines, and to expose or move other anti-personnel mines not activated or destroyed by the flail's chains. Heavy or light Grapnel detection devices launched from vehicles that will activate trip wire fuzz, dig up electronic mine activation links and cut tactical or electrical wire used to command detonate mines. (l) Mechanical landmine destroyers or removal devices for use in open terrain to separate mines/ordnance from earth and smaller debris. A similar device or kit must be developed to allow the same operation in rugged terrain. These devices must be able to expose and mark anti-tank mines and large unexploded heavy ordnance items without detonation or disturbing where they lay to be destroyed by follow-on personnel. These devices must be designed to allow tandem operation of two or more systems during breaching or de-mining operations when the terrain allows. (m) A remotely controlled device capable of safely neutralizing, digging up and removing buried mines and other explosive devices suspected of being equipped with anti-disturbance devices in close proximity to critical facilities. (n) Standard mine awareness information in the form of leaflets, "canned" radio and television presentations, movie film and posters printed in the host country, or common denominator language. In regions of low literacy: descriptive photos and line drawings of all devices in the area and the danger associated with them will be used in lieu of words. This information will be available in the Interactive Mine/Countermine Database. (o) A "Tool Box" of individual hand and power tools specially designed and fabricated to make the demining job safer and easier. Items such as a cart to carry tools and supplies, and a power source will allow the deminer to make use of time and labour-saving implements. Specialized probes, light grapnels, long-reach weed eaters and high-power air blowers are a few of the devices needed to make the job easier. 8. During 1995, the United States Government directed the Department of Defense to develop and evaluate new equipment and technologies to enhance demining operations. The items evaluated under this critical program are described below: United States Congressionally Directed Research for Countermine Technologies for Humanitarian Demining Test Report Executive Summary of the Program 9. To document the Operational Capabilities Demonstration and Test (OCDT) for the Humanitarian Demining Technologies Development Program. BACKGROUND (a) Cessation of hostilities does not end the casualties of war. Landmines are frightening residual weapons of war that retard resettlement and economic renewal. This menace denies access to roadways (improved and unimproved), villages and urban areas, agricultural fields and other rural areas long after the declaration of peace. Their numbers and the devastation they extract are staggering. The Department of State publication, entitled Hidden Killers, the Global Landmine Crisis, estimates that some 85 to 110 million mines in 62 countries maim and kill more than 10,000 people a year. The problem is most acute in underdeveloped nations already ravaged by conflict and that lack the resources and the infrastructure needed to deal with their landmine problems. (b) There is a wide variety of landmines. They range in size and type from anti-personnel models small enough to fit into the palm of a child's hand to large anti-tank mines. There are different activation mechanisms, such as pressure, electronic and command detonation. Mines use the blast effect from the explosion and flying fragments to injure or kill their victims. One of many ways to categorize a mine is whether it is a blast or a fragmentation type. Manufacturers make mines from metallic and non-metallic materials. This tremendous diversity makes the demining mission very complex and dangerous. Improvements in demining technology are critical to the success of a by effort to reduce this threat. (c) As part of an international humanitarian demining effort, Congress provided the Army $US 10 million of FY95 RDT and E funds with direction to develop and demonstrate technologies applicable to humanitarian demining and other Military Operations Other Than War (OOTW) situations. Congress further directed that the technologies developed under this one-year only program be shared in an international environment. In compliance with this direction, the CECOM Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) developed, demonstrated and validated over 30 prototype items for humanitarian demining in 1995. (d) The diversity of the mine threat pointed to the need for different types of equipment to neutralize them. The short time frame of this program dictated a development effort that maximized the use of existing technology. The requirement to develop equipment for use by host nation deminers with very different languages, cultures and education levels added to the challenge. (e) To meet this challenge, the Army technology base, in partnership with private industry and the operational user (CINC demining staffs), integrated and demonstrated Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) technologies for use in humanitarian demining and in other military OOTW situations. Coordination with CINC demining representatives indicated an immediate need for short-term, low technology solutions to the demining problem. This program therefore placed a priority on the integration of basic low risk tools, items and kits to improve efficiency and safety for United States demining trainers and host country deminers. Additionally, the need to increase safety, quality control and speed required solutions that leveraged previous and ongoing Countermine programs without duplication of effort. Basic research and exploratory development programs conducted in promising areas for Countermine application have potential for use in demining. Therefore, this $US 10 million program leveraged the ongoing Countermine program both to integrate technologies previously identified in the Countermine exploratory development program and as a springboard for fielded Countermine equipment (for example, hand held detectors). This program emphasized solutions that determine mined as well as mine-free terrain with a high degree of reliability and that drive down the cost of detection and clearance. Areas of emphasis included: (i) Mine Detection On-Road and Off-Route; (ii) Mine Clearers; (iii) In situ Neutralization; (iv) Individual Components. (f) At a Humanitarian Demining Action Officers' Workshop, hosted by the CECOM Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) on 18 and 19 January 1995, demining action officers from all CINC staffs addressed their most critical mine countermeasure needs. This input was important to the NVESD decision process that identified the specific prototype equipment developed and tested by this program. HUMANITARIAN DEMINING COUNTERMEASURE ALTERNATIVES 10. The following list briefly identifies each humanitarian demining countermeasures alternative developed under this program. Mine Detection On-Road and Off-Route Vehicle Mounted Detection (VMD) System: A multi-sensor mine detection system mounted on a remote control vehicle. Sensor technologies are metal detection, thermal-nuclear analysis and cameras. Vehicle Mounted Mine Detector (VMMD): A multi-sensor mine detection system mounted on a small utility vehicle. Sensor technologies are Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and cameras. Ground Based Quality Assurance System: An integrated camera suite to confirm that a mined area has been cleared. System distinguishes between disturbed soil from which mines have been removed and mines that are still present. Mine clearers Tele-operated Ordnance Disposal System (TODS): Remote controlled mine clearance capability based on a commercial skid loader. Mini-flail: A small vehicle-based remote control anti-personnel mine clearer. In situ neutralization Explosive Demining Device (EDD): A shaped charge approach to neutralize mines in situ (in-place). LEXFOAM: An explosive foam to destroy mines in-place. Chemical Neutralization: The use of chemicals to neutralize mines. Mine Marking and Neutralization: A hardening foam that makes fuzz inoperable and marks mine locations. Shaped Charges: The application of commercial oil well bore hole charges to demining. Individual Components Modular Vehicle Protection (MVP) Kit: A mine detonation protection kit designed for commercial vehicles. Blast Protected Vehicle (BPV) Kit: An alternative mine detonation protection kit designed for commercial vehicles. Mobile Training System: Suite of multi-lingual, multi-media equipment that provides mine awareness training to people of the host nation. Mini-mine Detector: A compact pocket-sized mine detector with performance equivalent to the current Army standard PSS-12. Extended Length Probe: A probe attached to a long shaft for greater stand-off distance, and able to assist with identification of a buried object in contact with the probe tip. Extended Length Weedeater: A hand-held or wheel-mounted vegetation cutter with a long shaft. Mine Location Marker: A mine marking device that attaches to any open ring hand-held mine detector. Blast and Fragment Container: A device that permits the destruction of mines in place while protecting high value assets. Demining Kit: A hand cart with a collection of hand and power tools for demining, and that serves as a host for a light grapnel system. Berm Processing Assembly: Removes mines from berms created by mine-clearing blades and plows. Mine Clearing Blades: Attaches to commercial construction vehicles for large area clearance. Grapnels: Stand-off trip wire activation devices. There are light and heavy models. Hand-held Tripwire Detector: Use of a small IR camera to detect tripwires. Vehicle Towed Roller: Anti-personnel mine detonating rollers designed for commercial host vehicles. Towed Light (Swamp) Roller: Anti-personnel mine detonating roller designed to operate in watery areas such as rice paddies, and light enough to be towed by winch or by an animal. Command Communications Video and Light System (CCVLS): A mini camera mounted to a helmet or onto a pole with wireless audio and visual links to a remote control station. Mobile Video and Light System (MVLS): Helmet mounted mini-camera and a fixed "stand off" camera that transmit to a remote location. Side Scan Sonar: A small sonar that transmits images to a shore-based computer. K9 Program: Mine detection using trained dogs. 11. The overall objective for the Operational Capabilities Demonstration Test (OCDT) was to test and evaluate the above mine countermeasures. 12. The OCDT, which took place during October and November 1995, accomplished this objective. That the majority of these prototypes performed well enough to warrant future development and use for demining testifies to the success of this program. The following matrix displays the current plan for future demining technology development. 13. Future United States' technology development programs for demining will greatly expand the scope of the 1995 program described previously. While there will be a need for continued development of "low tech" hardware for immediate support to the world's demining missions, it is important to realize that we must expand our vision to investigate the use of the many promising technologies available. Recent meetings at the United States' National Research Council have revealed the need for further research in the following areas of detection: (a) Radar, particularly ground penetrating radar, appears to be a future high probability of detection sensor. New developments in sensor fusion and target recognition are needed. Antenna design, greater bandwidth range and downsizing hardware are key to the success of this technology. (b) Fusion of multiple sensors to improve detection, validation and recognition of buried items. Critical to demining is the ability to distinguish fragments or stones from the "real thing" in real time. (c) Understanding the mechanism of how dogs and other animals actually detect mines will allow developers to approximate animal smell and taste organs. This will be a major step towards being able to move away from the electromagnetic spectrum as the only promising device for locating minefields and individual mines. (d) Thermal imaging has great promise in specific locations, terrain conditions, foliage and weather. There are numerous technical enhancements available for exploration. Likewise, there is also the ability to change the characteristics of the target area using heat, cooling and water. (e) Passive MM Wave radar has demonstrated potential to locate mines. Acoustic and seismic detectors offer promise in locating and categorizing individual mines.