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Booby-Traps And Anti-Handling Devices: Common Tactics, Michael Cardash

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Booby-traps are designed to entice victims to perform a physical action with an apparently harmless object that hides an explosive device that leads to the device’s unexpected initiation. Many booby-traps are improvised explosives devices (IED) and feature some kind of bait targeted to exploit emotions and the anticipated actions of security forces or civilians, who will initiate the explosive device in close proximity. Baiting is designed to attract attention and cause the victim to approach the IED. It is intended to pique curiosity or instinctual feelings, such as the desire to help (bait in the form of a body or …

Collaborative Demining Training In Cambodia, Jorge Rivero, Tom Gersbeck

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since 2016, the Center for Fire and Explosives, Forensic Investigations, Training and Research at Oklahoma State University (OSU) has teamed up with Golden West Humanitarian Foundation to offer an extraordinary training opportunity to military and civilian bomb experts, as well as OSU medical personnel and students. During the second half of January 2018, a group of civilian law enforcement bomb technicians, military explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians, medical personnel, a lawyer, and educators visited Cambodia to participate in the OSU Explosives Ordnance seminar conducted by Golden West.

Drones In The Desert: Augmenting Hma And Socio-Economic Activities In Chad, John Fardoulis, Xavier Depreytere, Emmanuel Sauvage, Pierre Gallien

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Funded by the Belgian Directorate-General for Development and led by Humanity & Inclusion (HI) under the auspices of the National Mine Action Centre, Haut Commissariat National au Déminage (HCND) in Chad, the Odyssey2025 Project explores ways to accelerate land release for the local population with the combined use of small consumer drones, new survey methods, and mobile data collection. Project partners include Mobility Robotics, Dynergie, InZentive, and Third Element Aviation. A practical, field-driven approach is being undertaken together with partners in the PRODECO project, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), and Fondation Suisse de Déminage (FSD).

Mineland, The Endless War: A Photo Essay, Rocco Rorandelli

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Many modern conflicts leave behind unexploded ordnance (UXO) in their aftermath, inflicting severe human, social, and economic costs. Europe is not immune from this issue. Today, landmine-affected countries in Europe include Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia. With an average removal cost of 1,000 euros per mine, reduced funding is the main reason why demining is still unfinished in this region after more than 20 years of work. Every year, deminers and civilians die or are injured because of ordnance explosions.

A common sentiment of all organizations involved in demining operations is that greater funds are required to increase …

Ukraine's Newly Adopted Mine Action Law: What Does This Mean For Hma Programs?, Henrique Garbino

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Recent contamination in the region is the result of the ongoing conflict between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.³ Although the full extent of contamination is unknown, conservative estimates suggest that about 20 sq km (7.72 sq mi) are contaminated.

Currently, at least three government institutions are directly involved with humanitarian demining, with the support of three international NGOs. Many more organizations are involved in mine risk education (MRE), victim assistance, stockpile destruction, advocacy and training, advisory, and coordination of the mine action program. However, until January 2019, there was no strong legal framework …

Endnotes Issue 22.3, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

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

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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

Endnotes, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 21.3 (2017), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Editorial: IEDs and IMAS

Feature: Physical Security and Stockpile Management

in the SPOTLIGHT: Colombia

Field Notes

Research and Development

The Collaborative Ordnance Data Repository (Cord): 2018 Upgrades, Roly Evans

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Collaborative ORDnance Data Repository (CORD) has been in existence since 2015. It is a database of over 5,000 entries detailing a wide range of explosive ordnance. The database is used extensively as a means of identifying munitions by those working in the field of humanitarian mine action, but also by others. Users range from mine clearance operators in Sri Lanka, police bomb disposal teams in Florida or Abu Dhabi, human rights advocates in Washington, D.C., to journalists in London. CORD is not intended as a detailed database. It is intended as a simple online ordnance identification guide with limited …

Mediawiki: Supporting Imsma Documentation, Dionysia Kontotasiou, Olivier Cottray

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Over the last few years, wikis have arisen as powerful tools for collaborative documentation on the internet. The Encyclopedia Wikipedia has become a reference, and the power of community editing in a wiki allows people all over the world to contribute their knowledge. Use of a wiki for software documentation provides an effective collaboration tool as information can be easily fed into the system. Certain wiki implementations, such as MediaWiki, are project-oriented and include functionalities such as automatic page versioning, easy navigation, simple search mechanisms, as well as online, offline, and mobile usage.

From The Director, Ken Rutherford

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This June, the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) partnered with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) to facilitate the Southeast Asia Cluster Munition Remnants Survey (CMRS) Workshop in Washington, D.C. This two-day event, hosted by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), brought together a number of organizations working in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to discuss best practices in CMRS in the region.

Using Mobile Geographic Information Systems To Improve Operational Efficiency, Data Reliability, And Access In Mine Action, Paul Rittenhouse, Lindsay Aldrich

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The inherently complex field of mine action, with its many political, financial, and physical considerations, is also a spatial, data-driven field; and as a result, geographic information systems (GIS) stand to play a major role. Spatial data can help address questions such as: Where are the hazardous areas and what has been cleared or cancelled? Where have teams already surveyed? Where should they go next? How many square meters have been cleared? Due to the complexities surrounding assigning tasks and prioritization, standard operating procedures (SOP), quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) and database design, GIS often gets limited to high-level planning, database …

Interpreting Submunition Fragmentation Marks On Hard Surfaces For The Survey Of Cluster Munition Strikes, Roly Evans

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Submunition fragmentation can produce distinct patterns on hard surfaces that can assist in establishing if a cluster munition has been used. This article will review some of the submunition fragmentation impact patterns seen in current and former conflict zones around the world. It will also underline the risks of misidentifying such patterns and the need to corroborate them with associated evidence such as the submunition fragmentation itself. Trying to accurately identify evidence of cluster munition strikes is an important skill, not just for those surveying contamination for subsequent clearance, but also for journalists and human rights advocates seeking to document …

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 21.2 (2017), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Feature: The Evolving Nature of Survey | Special Report: 21st Century Survey in Eastern Ukraine and the use of Technology in Insecure Environments | Spotlight: Southeast Asia | Field Notes | Research and Development