Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 22.3 (2018), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Editorial: Landmine Free 2025? | Feature: Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Mine Action | in the Spotlight: South and Central Asia | Research and Development

Landmine Free 2025: A Shared Responsibility, Camille Wallen, Chris Loughran

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Just over 20 years ago, states and civil society came together to put an end to the harm inflicted by antipersonnel mines. The result was the ground-breaking Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in 1997. Better known as the Ottawa Treaty, it prohibited the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. It also created time-bound legal obligations requiring the destruction of all stockpiles, the clearance of all mined areas, and assistance for landmine victims.

Enhancing Humanitarian Mine Action In Angola With High-Resolution Uas Im, Inna Cruz, Luan Jaupi, Shadrack Kassanga Njamba Sequesseque, Olivier Cottray

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The peaceful use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) increases significantly when their cost and complexity are reduced. Fully autonomous, ultralight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are now commercially available. There are numerous UAS applications in humanitarian mine action (HMA), environmental research and survey, and urban infrastructure management and maintenance.

Drones Supporting Mine Clearance In Northern Sri Lanka, Oliver Gerard-Pearse

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The humanitarian mine action (HMA) community’s nascent adoption of commercial drone technology has no doubt made a positive impact within the sector. However, drones go underutilized in HMA and many opportunities as well as potential pitfalls remain. Nurturing and developing this technology to assist in an increasingly diverse and evolving industry will benefit the community greatly. However, drones have only recently drawn the public eye with considerable strides forward in developing technology that is now available and financially accessible to the general public. Popular commercial brands are appealing more to the budding photographers and video bloggers that are able to …

The Effects Of Erw Contamination In Sri Lanka, Jennifer Dathan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Sri Lankan Civil War (July 1983–May 2009), between the government and the Tamil Tigers, was a conflict marked by the extensive use of explosive weapons. Predominantly affecting the majority-Tamil areas in the north and east (Tamil Eelam), the violence left deep scars upon the communities in these areas. The land is still heavily marked by the legacy of landmines, air-dropped bombs, and other explosive remnants of war (ERW).

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 …

Endnotes Issue 22.3, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

Issue 22.3 Message From The Director, Ken Rutherford

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Message from CISR Director, Ken Rutherford

Drones And "Butterflies": A Low-Cost Uav System For Rapid Detection And Identification Of Unconventional Minefields, Timothy Desmet, Alex Nikulin, William Frazer, Jasper Baur, Jacob Abramowitz, Daniel Finan, Sean Denara, Nicholas Aglietti, Gabriel Campos

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Aerially-deployed plastic landmines in post-conflict nations present unique detection and disposal challenges. Their small size, randomized distribution during deployment, and low-metal content make these mines more difficult to identify using traditional methods of electromagnetic mine detection. Perhaps the most notorious of these mines is the Sovietera PFM-1 “butterfly mine,” widely used during the decade-long Soviet-Afghan conflict between 1979 and 1989. Predominantly used by the Soviet forces to block otherwise inaccessible mountain passages, many PFM-1 minefields remain in place due to the high associated costs of access and demining. While the total number of deployed PFM-1 mines in Afghanistan is poorly …

Opportunities For Regional Training And Information Exchange Reap Benefits For Central Asia, Paige Ober, Nazira Shozodaeva, Tahmina Akhmedova, Suzanne Fiederlein

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Regional cooperation and regional partnerships are an important aspect of creating strong and sustainable humanitarian mine action programs across the globe. Challenges and opportunities endemic to a particular region are best addressed by the experience and expertise of local organizations. Facilitating ways to foster information sharing is an imperative for the success of regional security goals.

The Added Value Of Integrating Uavs Into The Hma Toolkit, Shathel Fahs, Greg Crowther

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The rapid and ongoing development of lightweight, powerful, and relatively cheap unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAV)—still commonly referred to as drones—has demonstrated their use in increasingly diverse and imaginative ways across a large number of industries and sectors. They have also captured the public imagination with the prospect of revolutionizing many aspects of how we live and work. Humanitarian mine action (HMA) has not been immune to this process, and a number of organizations have conducted research, trials, and field tests into how they can support and improve the landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) survey and clearance process.

How Iraq Is Changing What We Do: Measuring Clearance In Urban Environments, Pehr Lodhammar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Iraq is changing what we think, say, and do about mine action. The terms, standards, and measurements used by the humanitarian mine action (HMA) community need to be revised as Daesh remains a destabilizing influence. While the Al Maedam district of Mosul fell to Iraqi Security Forces in a ‘last battle’ on 10 July 2017, the government declared an official end to the conflict in Iraq on 10 December 2017. Whereas HMA followed the signing of the Dayton

Increasing Efforts In Ssma: What Does It Take?, Ursign Hofmann, Samuel Paunila, Katherine Prizeman

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The inadequate management of conventional ammunition results in negative consequences such as diversion to illicit groups and unplanned explosions at munitions sites (UEMS). Both diversion and unintended blasts can result in a severe humanitarian impact, undermine development efforts, compromise defense capabilities, and lead to instability.

In recognition of this recurring danger, political, normative, and operational efforts have increased to promote the safe and secure management of ammunition (SSMA). As the issue enjoys greater national, regional, and international attention, stakeholders should simultaneously take stock of achievements, consider if current efforts address the challenges at hand, and appreciate what further steps are …

Life-Cycle Management Of Ammunition: Safety, Security, And Sustainability, Jovana Carapic, Eric J. Deschambault, Paul Holtom, Benjamin King

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Ammunition is an essential resource for the implementation of a national defense and security policy. National ammunition stockpiles—regardless of their functional classification—can pose risks to national security and public safety. Poor accounting and inadequate physical security of storage facilities can lead to the diversion of ammunition from the national stockpile to terrorists, criminals, and other armed groups, increasing insecurity and instability. Furthermore, the deterioration of munition components can contribute to unplanned explosions at munitions sites (UEMS), which can have significant negative socioeconomic and political consequences for the public and national governments. Comprehensive ammunition management ensures that the right types and …

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 22.2 (2018), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

FEATURE: Safe and Secure Management of Ammunition

in the SPOTLIGHT: IRAQ and SYRIA

Field Notes

Research and Development

Sepon Supports Uxo Clearance In Laos, Saman Aneka, Micheal Valent

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Sepon mine, owned by the largest international mining company in Laos, MMG Lane Xang Minerals Limited Sepon (LXML), is situated in a remote area of Vilabouly District, Savannakhet Province—one of the most bombed districts in Lao PDR. Over 21,000 people have been killed or injured as a result of unexploded ordnance (UXO) accidents in the post-war period (1974–2018), of which 25 percent were in Savannakhet Province. This legacy brings unique challenges to mining operations, development projects, and agricultural production.

Endnotes, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

The Hybrid Thermal Lance: A Promising New Technique For The Destruction Of Landmines And Uxo By Deflagration, Donald Pratt, Nick Torbet

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Explosive ordnance can be destroyed by a variety of methods. Destruction in-situ using an explosive charge is generally the preferred means; it is reliable, technically straightforward, and often the safest option. Other techniques include thermite-based tools or low-explosive powered disruptors. However, in a number of current humanitarian mine action (HMA) operating environments, clearance organizations are faced with restrictions on explosive use and/or importation of other energetic materials such as thermite. This may be due to the legitimate security concerns of mine-affected states, or legislative frameworks that do not account for non-military use of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) tools. This takes …

Shattered Lives And Bodies: Recovery Of Survivors Of Improvised Explosive Devices And Explosive Remnants Of War In Northeast Syria, Médecins Sans Frontières

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In northeast Syria, fighting, airstrikes, and artillery shelling have led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians from the cities of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa, as well as rural areas along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. Now that active fighting has moved toward the Syrian- Iraqi border, the population is beginning to return home. However, explosive remnants of war (ERW), improvised explosive devices (IED), and booby traps (remaining from conflict or planted purposefully in homes) continue to put the returning population at immense risk and further obstruct vital humanitarian access.

Determining The Value Of Uavs In Iraq, Brad Alford, Edward Curran, Shawn Cole

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As areas of Iraq and Syria controlled by ISIS are liberated, internally displaced persons (IDP) are returning to their homes to face widespread destruction and contamination from deadly improvised explosive devices (IED) implanted by ISIS to maim, kill, and terrorize. Janus Global Operations (Janus) currently operates throughout Iraq, clearing IEDs with a focus on bringing critical infrastructure online to allow IDPs to return safely and resume their lives.

Operating in urban environments has proven challenging due to the high volume of destroyed buildings and associated rubble. In urban environments, operators are exposed to uncertain situations when traditional detection methods can …

Mitigating Adverse Environmental Impacts In Mine Action, Martin Jebens, Gianluca Maspoli

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In order to help mitigate adverse environmental impacts, this article supports the mainstreaming of environmental concerns into mine action. This is achievable by strengthening existing standards, and is motivated by two main factors.

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.

Advanced Geophysical Classification Of Wwii-Era Unexploded Bombs Using Borehole Electromagnetics, Laurens Beran, Stephen Billings

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The legacy of World War II-era unexploded bombs (UXB) is an ongoing public safety hazard throughout Europe, and especially in Germany. Large, air-dropped bombs that are a legacy of Allied bombing campaigns are discovered on a weekly basis in Germany, requiring evacuations and disposal efforts costing hundreds of thousands of Euros in some instances.

This article presents recent work done by Black Tusk Geophysics using advanced geophysical classification (AGC) to reliably identify hazardous ordnance at urban sites in Germany. After briefly describing electromagnetic (EM) sensors and data processing required for AGC, this article will discuss survey and design considerations for …

Minefield Sketch Maps In Humanitarian Mine Action, Jesse Hamlin, Luan Jaupi

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Digital technology has the ability to bring minefield artifacts from the field to life. The HALO Trust (HALO) has been using Colortrac large format scanners in several programs around the world, to scan minefield sketch maps from the field, allowing these historical records to be viewed on desktop and laptop computers. Once the maps are scanned, they are geo-referenced in geographic information systems (GIS) to display alongside other layers, and used to allow HALO to build its database of activities through digitization of paper records alongside data that is recorded directly onto tablets.

Clearing Safe Spaces For Drought Affected Communities In Somaliland, Edward Lajoie, Megan Dwyer

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGO) working in the Horn of Africa consistently identify conflict and climate change as two primary drivers of insecurity in the region. The HALO Trust’s landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) clearance in the Republic of Somaliland over the last 19 years has been at the intersection of these two issues.

Lessons From The Past: The Rapid Clearance Of Denmark’S Minefields In 1945, Roly Evans

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The clearance of the vast majority of Denmark’s minefields during 1945 was remarkable. In just under five months, a force ranging between 750 and 2,600 German prisoners of war (POW) under the supervision of 250–350 Danish officers and noncommissioned officers cleared 1,389,281 mines from an area of 1,103.2 sq km (425.9 sq mi). Such speed of clearance stands in stark contrast with much of modern humanitarian mine action since the 1990s. This article will explain how such speed was possible and why it could not reasonably be repeated today. The article will also identify a number of important lessons that …

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 22.1 (2017), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Editorial: The Evolution of PPE in HMA

Feature: BAC in Urban Areas

in the Spotlight: Europe

Field Notes

Research and Development

Field Notes

Why Is Water So Efficient At Suppressing The Effects Of Explosions?, Stephen Salter, John Parkes

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

When most experienced explosives engineers first observe an explosion suppressed by bags of water, they are convinced that there has been a misfire. Depending on the amount of water and the way it is contained, the overpressure can be reduced by a factor of ten, sometimes more than twenty. The number of fragments from shell cases can be one hundred times less. Their velocities can be seven times. Slugs from focal point charges are stopped. Safety distances around magazines can be cut. The number of people evacuated from a bomb disposal site can be reduced. In June 1999, engineers from …