Sources:
1 - Glossary of UN Peacekeeping Terms
2 - Hidden Killers 1994: The Global Landmine Crisis
3 - Hidden Killers 1998: The Global Landmine Crisis
4 - International Standards for Humanitarian Mine Clearance Operations (1999)
5 - International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) 4.10 Glossary Edition 1
6 - North Atlantic Treaty Organization Definition
7 - UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE (UXO) An Overview.
8 - U.S. Government Humanitarian Demining Strategic Plan, May 1997
2 - Hidden Killers 1994: The Global Landmine Crisis
3 - Hidden Killers 1998: The Global Landmine Crisis
4 - International Standards for Humanitarian Mine Clearance Operations (1999)
5 - International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) 4.10 Glossary Edition 1
6 - North Atlantic Treaty Organization Definition
7 - UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE (UXO) An Overview.
8 - U.S. Government Humanitarian Demining Strategic Plan, May 1997
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Term
Source
Definition
1
Absolute emergency
1
When calling the medevac chopper, the call can be "priority" (for non-mortal wounds), "(absolute) emergency" (for mortal wounds or ailments) or "tactical emergency" (casualties of a seriousness or on a scale such as to endanger mission).
225
Acceptance
5
The formal acknowledgement by the sponsor that the equipment meets the stated requirements and is suitable for use in mine action programmes. An acceptance may be given with outstanding caveats
224
Access Lane
5
A marked passage leading through a mined area that has been cleared to provide safe movement to a required point or area.
226
Accident
5
An undesired event that results in harm.
227
Accreditation
5
The procedure by which a demining organization is formally recognised as competent and able to plan and manage mine action activities safely, effectively and efficiently.
228
Accreditation Body
5
An organization, normally an element of the national mine action authority, responsible for the management and implementation of the national accreditation system.
229
Advocacy
5
Public support, recommendation or positive publicity with the aim of removing, or at least reducing, the threat from, and the impact of, mines and UXO.
2
Aeromedical Evacuation (AE)
1
The movement of patients under medical supervision to and between medical treatment facilities by air transport; the evacuation can be inter-theatre or intra-theatre.
230
Alienation
5
The transfer of ownership or property rights following the handover of cleared land.
3
Ambush Mine
A general term referring to directional mines such as Claymore and the MON series, actuated by remote control or tripwire and used to ambush vehicle convoys or foot patrols.
231
Amended Protocol II
5
Amended Protocol II (APII) to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW).
4
Ammunition
4
Ammunition is anything that contains an active ingredient such as explosives, or a chemical, smoke, pyrotechnical or an incendiary composition.
5
Anti-Clearance Device
A device attached to, or integral to, a mine which will explode or cause the mine to explode and designed to slow down the clearance of a minefield by making disturbance of the mine extremely dangerous and neutralization difficult.
6
Anti-Handling Device
4
A device fitted to, added on. placed under, attached to or near that acts as part of a mine or munitions mechanism, which can be electrically or mechanically operated when the mind or munition is disturbed.
7
Anti-Materiel
7
Designed to cause deterioration of or damage to selected material.
8
Anti-Personnel
7
Designed to kill, wound, or obstruct personnel.
9
Anti-Tank Mine
4
A mine which is designed to disable or destroy vehicles and tanks. The explosive can be activated by many types of fuse mechanism normally by pressure, tilt rod, influence or command detonated.
232
Applied Research
5
Research focused at clearly defined problems and market opportunities.
10
Area Reduction
4
The act of defining and marking the extent of a mined area, usually undertaken as a part of a Level 2 survey.
12
Armed Delay Device
4
A device which has been fitted to the mine or fuse in order to prevent activation for a set period after being activated. Normally used to ensure that the person or laying equipment has been able to withdraw from the immediate area.
13
Armed Period
4
The period in which a mine or munition is electrically and/or mechanical armed and active.
11
Arming Device
7
A device designed to perform the electrical and/or mechanical alignment necessary to initiate an explosive train.
14
Azimuth
1
Azimuth is the horizontal angle, measured clockwise between a reference direction and the line to an observer or designated point. True azimuth is reference to north. Grid azimuth is referenced to a grid north. Magnetic is reference to a magnetic field.
15
Ballistic Protection
4
Protection from projectiles, often referred to for protection against sniper or small arms ammunition but in demining terms is used for protection against fragmentation and blast.
16
Base Line
4
The line which is used to initiate all demining operations and is the point from which all clearance lanes start. Also know as the start line.
17
Battle Area Clearance
4
The term used for the clearance of all mines and UXO from an area of land.
18
Belleville Spring
4
A metal or plastic disc-shaped diaphragm, with a metal striker on the concave side, which inverts when pressure has been exerted to one side. This causes the metal striker to come into contact with a detonator causing an explosion.
19
Benchmark
4
A fixed point of reference outside the minefield. This point has known coordinates that have been either ascertained by survey, resection or use of DGPS.
20
Biochemical Neutralization
Some organisms feed on certain elements of explosive chemical, thus rendering them inert, and therefore could theoretically be used in demining.
21
Black Widow
4
A name given to the Russian PMN mine so called because of its effectiveness and color of the pressure plate.
22
Blasting Cap
4
See detonator
23
Blind
4
Any ammunition that has been thrown, projected at or placed upon a target and which fails to function completely at the point of delivery or placement.
25
Blow in place
4
See blow in situ
24
Blow in situ
4
The destruction of any item of ordnance by explosives without moving the item from where it was found, normally by placing an explosive charge alongside. Sometimes referred to as Blow in Place (BIP).
26
Body Armor
4
In demining, the term protective armor normally refers to the flak jacket, but for EOD work this refers to the full body ‘Bomb Suit’.
27
Bomb Disposal
6
The act of disposing of UXO and IED.
28
Bomblet
4
A term used to describe types of sub-munitions especially those packed within cluster bombs. Bomblets are designed to explode on contact with the target or the ground.
29
Booby Trap
4
Any device or material which is designed, constructed or adapted to kill or injure and which functions unexpectedly when a person or object (vehicle) disturbs or approaches an apparently harmless object or performs an apparently safe act.
30
Booster Charge
4
The addition of explosives in order to increase the detonation capability of the detonator in order to detonate the main charge. Sometimes used in order to increase the explosive content. This can be done by stacking mines and or adding explosives.
233
Boundary Lane
5
A cleared lane around the perimeter of a hazardous area.
31
Bounding Mine
A fragmentation anti-personnel mine that employs a primary charge to elevate the mine to a predetermined height before the main charge is initiated. Designed to kill. Sometimes called a "Bouncing Betty".
235
Box
5
A squared area that is developed for the purpose of being searched by mine detection dogs during the license test.
33
Box Mine
4
A mine normally manufactured from plastic or timber, containing the explosive charge and the activating mechanism. Mainly used for AP mines but has also been used for some AT mine models.
32
Branch Line
In mine clearance using the main line method, the length of detonator cord connected at one end to the explosive charge and at the other to the main line.
34
Breaching
4
Operations which clear a path though a mine filed using a variety of military equipment, manual means, Mine Detecting Dogs, or mechanical means.
234
Briefing Area
5
A clearly identifiable control point intended to be the first point of entry to a demining worksite.
35
Bund Walls
4
Earth protections generally surrounding explosives storage.
236
Burning Ground
5
An area authorised for the destruction of ammunition and explosives by burning.
36
Butterfly Mine
Nickname given to scatterable air-dropped anti-personnel mines used by Soviet forces in Afghanistan. The PFM-1 gained notary when they attracted children who mistook them for toys.
37
Caliber
7
The diameter of a projectile or the diameter of the bore of a gun or launching tube. Caliber is usually expressed in millimeters or inches.
39
Call Signs
4
Names or means of identification assigned to specific personnel used when communicating by radio.
237
Cancelled Area
5
An area previously recorded as a hazardous area which subsequently is considered, as a result of actions other than clearance, not to represent a risk from mines and UXO.
38
Casing
7
The fabricated outer part of an ordnance designed to hold an explosive charge and the mechanism required to fire this charge.
40
Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC)
1
Evacuation from the point of injury to the next suitable level of care.
238
Certification Committee
5
A committee appointed by UNMAS to regularly review compliance of the impact component of the general mine action assessment process with the UN certification guidelines based on the reports of the UN quality assurance monitor from the field.
41
Check Clearing
When little or nothing is know about the mine situation in a given area, the area has to be check-cleared to establish whether it is mined and warrants a full fledged mine clearing operation.
42
Claymore Mine
4
A directionally AP mine, the claymore consists of a curved outer case containing a huge number of fragments. Behind the fragments is a layer of explosive. The mine can be initiated by either pull or command detonation.
46
Clear Lane
4
A lane that has been cleared of all mines and UXO.
43
Clearance
4
Clearing an area of all mines, UXO and IED to a predefined standard.
44
Clearance Site
4
The site where demining activities (the removal of mines and/or UXO) are being conducted.
45
Clearance Standards
4
The standards that are to be applied to clearance operations. Normally specified in the contract document or clearance plan. In the UN it is normally achieved to a clearance standard of 100 per cent with a tolerance error of not more than 0.4 per cent.
47
Cluster Bomb Unit (CBU)
1
A thin-walled canister containing and dispersing submuntions, anit-personnel or anti-tank mines, runway cratering bomblets, fragmentation bomblets, etc. Opened by a burster charge.
48
Cluster Munition
4
A number of sub-munitions in one container that is aerially delivered.
239
Collaboration
5
An activity which applies solely to the procurement of common equipment by two or more organizations.
49
Command-destructing Mine
A mine that can be detonated by a remotely delivered command.
240
Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS)
5
Equipment that is available direct from the manufacturer and requires no further development prior to introduction into service apart from minor modifications.
241
Commonality
5
A state achieved when groups of individuals or organizations use common procedures and/or equipment.
242
Community Liaison
5
A process designed to place the needs and priorities of mine affected communities at the centre of the planning, implementation and monitoring of mine action and other sectors.
50
Compartment Syndrome
Treatment and rehabilitation of mine victims; secondary damage caused by the inflammation and swelling of injured muscles an by the pressure which builds up as a result within each muscle compartment, to surrounding tissue and nerves.
243
Compatibility
5
The capability of two or more components or sub-components of equipment or material to exist or function in <