Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Augmented And Virtual Reality For Hma Eod Training, Allen Dodgson Tan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

At the Golden West Design Lab in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, our team has been working on applying virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) for approximately three years with the support of the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA). This work grew from our success with the Advanced Ordnance Training Materials (AOTM) program, which produces detailed and functioning training aids of ordnance fuzes using 3D printing technology. The AOTM products were able to provide new capabilities to training in programs across the world, and we …

Demining The Tajik-Uzbek Border: What Have We Learned From The Tajik Experience?, Henrique Garbino, Erkin Huseinov

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Following the recent political rapprochement between the governments of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in March 2018, a joint commission was created to investigate the minefields along the Tajik-Uzbek border and schedule their clearance. The Uzbek government first expressed the intention to remove the landmines along its borders in 2004 and later reported the start of unilateral demining operations in 2005 by the Uzbek military. Less than three years later, Uzbek demining teams had reportedly cleared 95 percent of the minefields along the Tajik border. However, this has not been verified by independent organizations, and civilians still fall victim to landmines in …

Ppe Development And Needs In Hma, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As written in the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) 10.30 on personal protective equipment (PPE), “the primary means of preventing explosive injury in the workplace is by the supervised use of demining tools and processes that reduce the likelihood of an unintended detonation.” The IMAS goes on to state that PPE “should be the final protective measure after all planning, training and procedural efforts to reduce risk have been taken.” To date the “final protective measure” has been to provide PPE that is practical but that does not provide full protection.

The Early Years Of Demining In Bosnia And Herzegovina: Transfer To National Ownership, Ian Mansfield

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords on 14 December 1995, the newly formed Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina requested that the United Nations set up and manage a mine clearance program. However, it soon became clear that the government should take responsibility and ownership of the program.

The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina took place between April 1992 and October 1995. While the causes of the war and what happened are extremely complicated, Bosnian Serbs encircled Sarajevo and imposed a blockade, while ‘ethnic cleansing’ operations were undertaken by all sides in towns and villages throughout …

Flail Technology In Demining, Ashish Juneja

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

With the use of rollers, tillers and chain flails, the focus of minefield clearance has shifted since the early 1980’s from military to humanitarian demining. These machines can clear 200–300 mm of soil depending on the speed of the vehicle and its configuration, the soil type and the terrain. Unfortunately, heavy machines are difficult to operate at these slow speeds unless large amounts of power are available to run and rotate the flails. Moreover, recent literature cites the use of modern technology in demining (e.g., infrared imaging, ground penetration radar, thermal neutron activation and X-ray tomography). Mechanical machines, however, are …

An Overview Of Mozambique’S Mine-Free District Process, Antonio Belchior Vaz Martíns, Hans Risser

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the 1990s, Mozambique ranked among countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, and Iraq as one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. At the time, experts estimated that clearing all landmines in Mozambique would take 50 to 100 years. Landmines were widely used by all sides during the conflicts that ravaged Mozambique from the mid-1960s until 1992. These nuisance minefields usually consisted of small numbers of mines in seemingly random or undefined areas mostly around paths, wells and rural infrastructure. Large-pattern minefields tended to be the exception rather than the norm in Mozambique. Given the …

Explosive Hazards In The Aftermath Of Natural Disasters: Lessons Learned, Nicole Neitzey, Paula S. Daly

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Natural disasters have posed problems for demining operations in the past; the heavy flooding in Bosnia and Herzegovina was one recent example of many. Over the past 20 years, natural disasters have impacted countries affected by landmines or other explosive remnants of war (ERW), causing renewed danger. Despite reoccurring in recent years, these events continue catching the international CWD community by surprise, while experience and lessons learned from previous disasters in one country must be relearned in other regions.

Developers Win Mobile Apps Challenges, Blake Williamson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As more industries develop mobile technologies, demand for mobile applications (apps) increases. Within various humanitarian fields, mobile apps can serve a variety of special purposes, from providing users with the ability to communicate and share information wirelessly to facilitating disaster relief or humanitarian aid. The National Defense University saw a need for a landmine and explosive remnants of war reporting app, designing a contest to create one.

Do No Harm In Mine Action: Why The Environment Matters, Ursin Hoffman, Pascal Rapillard

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Explosive remnants of war negatively impact the environment and some clearance methods used by mine action organizations can potentially lead to environmental degradation. Mine action organizations need to consider the negative impact potential of their operations and adopt mitigation measures to ensure they do no harm.

Female Demining Teams In Tajikistan, Julieta Nikolova

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In addition to contributing to the safe release of landmine-contaminated land in Tajikistan, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) has pushed norms and traditions by incorporating an all-female demining team into its operations. Less than a year ago, imagining an all-female demining team operating in a country with strictly-defined gender roles was difficult.

Forces Generated By The Free Fall Of Demichain, Christian Baras, Bernard Gautier, Robert Goepfert, Jean-Pierre Hancy, Rene Joeckle

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The free fall of an array of heavy chains (360 kg/sq m) generates extensive pressure in the depth of the ground. These pressures have been measured and compared to the threshold pressures that trigger anti-personnel landmines. When dropped from moderate heights (1 m), chains can generate enough pressure to set off active landmines buried 20 cm, provided that the area of their pressure plates is larger than a few square centimeters.

Demining In Remote Areas Of Northern Afghanistan, Artyom Harutyunyan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since September 2010, the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) has carried out survey-and-clearance operations in the isolated Darwaz region of northern Afghanistan, where explosive-ordnance caches and unexploded ordnance and mine contamination remain a serious concern.

Evaluating The Mini Minewolf, Phil Straw

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The U.S. Department of Defense Humanitarian Research and Development Program conducted operational field evaluation to assess the capabilities of Mini MineWolf technology.

Land Release Liability, Sean Moorhouse

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Who should be responsible for any adverse events after clearance? The process of transferring liability from an operator to the state seems biased due to an inherent conflict of interest.

Demining Quality Management: Case Studies From Jordan, Jamal Odibat

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Two case studies of clearance in the Jordan Valley and along Jordan’s northern border highlight the importance of quality management to ensure efficiency of clearance and credibility of land release.

Minesweepers: Towards A Landmine-Free Egypt, An Outdoor Humanitarian Demining Robotic Competition, Alaa Khamis

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Listed as one of the most contaminated countries in the world, Egypt has an estimated 22.7 million landmines and other explosive remnants of war. In order to foster the research, development and application of robotics in humanitarian demining in Egypt, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Robotics and Automation Society – Egypt Chapter organized Minesweepers: Towards a Landmine-Free Egypt, an outdoor robotic competition hosted by the German University in Cairo from 15–17 September 2012.

How To Improve Demining Activities Through Gender-Sensitive Mine Risk Education, Abigail Jones, Arianna Calza Bini, Stella Salvagni Varó

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Until recently, mine action was widely perceived as a military and technical field where an almost exclusively male staff planned and implemented activities. However, there is still a need for a better understanding of what mine-affected communities can gain from including gender and age perspectives in mine action and how the different pillars of mine action mutually improve the quality and impact of mine action programs.

The Need For Collaboration Between Ordnance Manufacturers And Uxo Clean-Up Personnel, Jack Imber

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The ability to locate unexploded ordnance remotely and accurately increases the safety and efficiency of clearance efforts. To achieve maximum effectiveness, UXO manufacturers and removal groups should coordinate resources and information to create new and practical technologies to assist in efforts to identify failure rates and prevent civilian casualties. The Lost Puppy Proposal is one example of a life-saving technology that could result from such collaboration.

5d: A Gis-Based Approach For Determining And Displaying The Degree Of Operational Difficulty Of Demining, Pierre Lacroix, Rocío Escobar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Clearance operations highly depend on environmental, geographic and socioeconomic conditions. These conditions make demining easier, more difficult or nearly impossible. This article proposes an analytical method called 5D (Determining and Displaying the Degree of Operational Difficulty of Demining), which classifies degrees of difficulty as low, medium, high or extreme.

Secession Leads To Demining Challenges In Sudan, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the months following South Sudan’s July 2011 electoral secession from the former Sudan, the South’s ability to successfully maintain a demining program has become heavily dependent on its economic and post-conflict recovery. At this point in time, however, much of the South’s sustainability is ultimately reliant on its relationship with the North and, more significantly, the international community, thereby rendering its demining program into an uncertain future.

Conflict In Libya And The Future Risk To The Demining Community, Adrian King

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The evolving face of modern warfare in Libya and elsewhere will leave behind an explosives legacy that the humanitarian-demining community must manage. This article examines the innovation of the anti-government forces in employing modified weaponry and assesses some of the challenges this might bring to humanitarian demining and explosive-ordnance-disposal teams in the future.

Integration Of Clearance Assets, Mark Thompson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Integrating a variety of demining activities, including machines and manual support, is vital to an operation’s efficiency and success. An appropriate integration plan must include analysis of context, support requirements and limitations.

Harvard Tests Smartphones For Demining, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A team of researchers, composed of professors, a recent graduate from Harvard College, and a postdoctoral associate from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), presented a research and technology paper at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems entitled “Evaluating a Pattern-Based Visual Support Approach for Humanitarian Landmine Clearance.” The conference was held 7–12 May 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Peco Wolverine: Evolution Of A Demining Area-Preparation Tool, Ronald Collins, Thomas Henderson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article discusses the development of an essential mine-action tool: a preparation system for demining areas thick with vegetation. After covering the need for the technology, the authors explain how a commercially available product evolved into a highly capable remote-controlled vegetation cutter for demining, and how the manufacturer subsequently adopted the modified system for the commercial marketplace. Modifications made to the PECO are discussed in depth, and an accompanying analysis provides interesting insight into how the PECO project became a success for those in need of an efficient and effective brush-clearing device.

The Database Of Demining Accidents: A Driving Force In Hma, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article evaluates the need for a centralized accident-report database within the field of humanitarian mine action. The author argues that the failure to report accidents by on-site personnel can inadvertently lead to otherwise avoidable accidents where similar events occur. The author highlights the benefits that the database has provided for the community and makes several recommendations on how to further reduce severe injury within the industry.

The Growing Threat To Humanitarian Operations, Adrian King

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Deminers and other humanitarian-aid workers around the world, though previously viewed as off-limits, have become targets of distrust and even violence by certain groups. This article explores the reasons for this shift in ideology, and what action humanitarian organizations must take in order to protect their personnel.

Bosnia And Herzegovina Demining 15 Years Later, Zoran Grujic

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article outlines the demining steps taken by the United Nations and national authorities following Bosnia and Herzegovina’s war in the 1990s. The author further explores the shortcomings and successes of the demining projects and laws, with attention to preparations for the state’s next decade of mine action.

Falkland Islands Demining Pilot Project: Completion Of Phase 1, Robin Swanson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The United Kingdom has started to remove anti-personnel mines from the Falkland/Malvinas Islands in order to meet its obligations under Article 5 of the Ottawa Convention. A pilot phase was completed in June 2010 to clear four suspected hazardous areas—a critical first step to inform future projects following the conclusion of the Joint U.K.-Argentine Feasibility Study.

Strengthening The Demining Sector Response To Hiv/Aids In Sub-Saharan Africa, Martin Chitsama

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In this article, the author explores how HIV/AIDS affects deminers in the African areas where the disease is most prevalent. He considers how deminers’ lifestyles make them especially susceptible to HIV/AIDS and suggests mobile HIV/AIDS programs can effectively combat this growing threat.

Hero Profile: Aki Ra, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Khmer Rouge made Aki Ra a soldier when he was still a child. Now, close to 30 years later, he can be found working tirelessly to remove landmines and unexploded ordnance in Siem Reap, Cambodia—some planted by his own hands. As a result of his work, the Cambodia Landmine Relief Museum Facility houses thousands of detonated landmines and UXO, and provides a home for orphaned landmine victims. Aki Ra has received international recognition for his humanitarian efforts, including his recent selection as a Top 10 candidate for the CNN Hero of the Year award.