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Defense and Security Studies

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Journal

1999

Mechanical demining

Articles 1 - 13 of 13

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Heartlands Group, The Heartlands Group Jun 1999

The Heartlands Group, The Heartlands Group

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The development of mechanical mine clearance systems has been a long and protracted affair. It is generally accepted that no single machine can solve all mine problems, and if such a machine were to be developed, its size would probably prohibit it from being of practical use in the field.


The $64,000 Question: How Are We Going To Remove All Landmines In Ten Years?, Margaret S. Busé Jun 1999

The $64,000 Question: How Are We Going To Remove All Landmines In Ten Years?, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Thorsten Peter, of Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellscaft, manufacturers of the MINEBREAKER 2000 offers insight into the challenges of mechanical landmine clearance. "Humanitarian demining has to be accelerated. We can't go on at the pace we are presently going. It will simply take too long." -Mr. Thorsten Peter.


Boys With Toys Chase Silver Bullet, Joe Lokey Jun 1999

Boys With Toys Chase Silver Bullet, Joe Lokey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

One of those wonderful little anecdotes in the mine action community that everyone quotes and misquotes allegedly came from a 13-year old school girl in Halifax, Nova Scotia. When hearing of the technical challenges in locating and destroying antipersonnel mines she asked, "Why is it that we can run a mechanized shoe box around the surface of Mars but can't seem to locate a dangerous tin can just a few centimeters below the surface of the earth?" Out of the mouths of babes...


Claim And Reality: Mechanically Assisted Demining, Colonel L Dyck Jun 1999

Claim And Reality: Mechanically Assisted Demining, Colonel L Dyck

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

To be able to discuss demining technology and to differentiate between claim and reality, we must first look at what we are trying to do. We want to clear mines from infected areas as safely and as rapidly as possible, and be able to return the land to the local population for economic and development use.


The Case For The Flail: Mechanical Landmine Clearance For The Humanitarian Application A Manufacturer's View, William E. Green Jun 1999

The Case For The Flail: Mechanical Landmine Clearance For The Humanitarian Application A Manufacturer's View, William E. Green

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The basic requirement for a Mechanical Landmine Clearance System is to assist the overall humanitarian program to achieve effective and affordable landmine clearance while minimizing the risk to those involved. It is well understood that complete landmine clearing must involve a variety of tools. Experience has shown that the flail system, used together with other classical techniques, represents the most effective approach that present technology allows.


The Misa 1, A Agricultural Machine With Demining Capabilities, Detlef Schulz Jun 1999

The Misa 1, A Agricultural Machine With Demining Capabilities, Detlef Schulz

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The MiSa 1 mobile plant by the BIGAT Engineering Office for Processing of Waste Ltd. is a agricultural machine designed to pick up and sift through soil, separate out metal fragments and undergrowth, and replace the cleaned soil. While BIGAT envisions many uses for the MiSa I mobile plant, they are particularly encouraged by its performance as an aid for mine clearance. The MiSa I is capable of clearing specific minefield areas of vegetation that is up to 15 years old, while at the same time sifting through the soil to a depth of 50cm, cleaning the soil of all …


Mechanical Assistance Systems For Humanitarian Mine & Uxo Clearance, Roger Hess Jun 1999

Mechanical Assistance Systems For Humanitarian Mine & Uxo Clearance, Roger Hess

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Removing the phrase "Mechanical Mine Clearance " from humanitarian demining terminology was an issue that gained approval from most during the Karlsruhe Conference. The amount of money spent within the last few years on systems that are now in the advanced stages of rigor mortis is staggering. Now there seems to be many questions about what is an acceptable standard for the new definition of "Mechanically Assisted Demining". In some perspectives the answer is fairly clear, but in others it is as dark as Turkish coffee.


Mechanically Assisted Landmine Clearance And Detection, Theodore R. Gendron Jun 1999

Mechanically Assisted Landmine Clearance And Detection, Theodore R. Gendron

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In response to worldwide requirements for Humanitarian Demining, Schiebel Technology, Inc., an independent U.S. based corporation, has focused on the research, development, and production of the CAMCOPTER Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System particularly germane to mechanically assisted landmine detection and clearance.


Performance Report -The Minebreaker 2000, Thorsten Peter Jun 1999

Performance Report -The Minebreaker 2000, Thorsten Peter

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

At the end of 1995 a decision was taken within the Diehl Group to create technologies for humanitarian demining. A starting point for these considerations was the German government's firm political intention to make a significant contribution to combating the landmine plague and in particular - as one of the world's leading industrialized countries - to provide technology on an industrial scale for this purpose. The company Flensburger Fahrzeugbau GeselIschaft mbH (FFG) was commissioned to implement the project.


The Compact 230 Minecat, J. Barry Middlesmass Lockwood Beck Ltd., Margaret S. Busé Jun 1999

The Compact 230 Minecat, J. Barry Middlesmass Lockwood Beck Ltd., Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

J. Barry Middlemass, Managing Director of Lockwood Beck Limited, has considerable experience in the field of mechanical mine clearance and mine clearance equipment. Before embarking on a career in mine clearance, He served in the military, including reserves, for a total of twenty-nine years, specializing in mines, explosives and improvised explosive devices. When he resigned his commission, he devoted himself fulltime to mechanical demining. As a director of Aardvark for ten years, he had a key role and made a significant contribution to the company's success. Currently, JBM runs his own consulting company, Lockwood Beck, advising a variety of clients …


Grab A Cup Of Coffee, Pull Up A Seat, And Have Your Credit Card Ready, Margaret S. Busé Jun 1999

Grab A Cup Of Coffee, Pull Up A Seat, And Have Your Credit Card Ready, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Shopping for mechanical mine clearance equipment? Well, check out the German Federal Foreign Office's Humanitarian Mine Action Equipment Catalog 1998/1999. The catalog showcases state of the art equipment available for mechanical mine clearance and detection.


The Swedish Mine Fighter, An Interview With Mattias Willersjo, Catherine Harrigan, Mattias Willersjo Jun 1999

The Swedish Mine Fighter, An Interview With Mattias Willersjo, Catherine Harrigan, Mattias Willersjo

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While mechanical mine clearance machines are regarded as an important part of the mine clearance effort, most experts agree that there is no one machine capable of clearing land mines and other unexploded ordnance (UXO) to the 99.6% clearance standard recommended by the United Nations. Acknowledging this problem, but still recognizing the potential benefits of mechanical mine clearance machines, many field experts advocate a "toolbox" approach to mine clearance, using various mechanical mine clearance machines in tandem with manual mine clearance to achieve the 99.6% clearance standard.


The Swedish Mine Fighter: The Ultimate Mine- Clearance For Anti-Personnel Mines, Cisr Journal Jun 1999

The Swedish Mine Fighter: The Ultimate Mine- Clearance For Anti-Personnel Mines, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

New Swede Construction AB, NSC, AB, has since 1996, developed a mechanical mine clearance machine which can operate in areas where already existing machines cannot operate. The Swedish Mine Fighter is also an environmentally friendly machine since it does not destroy the ground where it operates. In initial tests using live mines placed in the ground, all mines were either destroyed or detonated.