Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …