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8 March 2002, Bangkok Col. Zahaczewsky, OSD (SO/LIC) ? SOP&S As part of U.S. foreign policy initiatives, the U.S. Humanitarian Demining Program seeks to educate local populations on mine awareness, eliminate hazards posed by landmines and other UXO, and return land to its previous use. Under Presidential Decision Directive/NSC-48/64, the Department of Defense conducts training, provides limited demining equipment, and conducts demining research and development (R&D). The mission of the DoD R&D Program is to ?share this improved technology with the broader international community.? In 1995, the R&D Program began at Ft. Belvior. Annually, approximately 20 technology developments programs are researched and evaluated. Each program goes through three phases (development, demonstration, and evaluation) before deployment to the field. Demining technologies such as the Surviving Demining Tractor/Tools (SDTT), Tempest, Energy Focusing Ground Penetrating Radar, Landmine Survey/Detection System, and the GEM-3 Electromagnetic Sensor are introduced into the field through a simple process. First, an equipment deployment decision is made. Then, a field evaluation is conducted. Next, user feedback/analysis is received. Last, improvements are made in the field. The final result of this process is the host nation?s decision whether to acquire the system for integration into its demining operations. Currently, priorities for the R&D Program are based on the July 2001 Deminer Requirements Workshop in which critical areas of demining technology were defined. These areas include wide area detection, improved handheld detection, vegetation clearance, and mechanical mine clearance. The future focus will remain on detection technologies most significant in FY02 such as wide area detection, improved handheld detection, and chemical vapor detection and mine and vegetation clearance technologies with an overall concentration on in-house design/developmental efforts, standardized remote control units, vegetation clearance devices, and further development of the standard evaluation process. The current evaluation process was started in February 1997 and so far has yielded 25 trials of equipment in 18 different countries. Completed Projects
Current Projects
Near Term Projects
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