Humanitarian De-mining
Abstract
Under the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD SO/LIC), the Humanitarian Demining Research and Development (HD R&D) program element develops, demonstrates and validates cost-effective technologies for use in humanitarian demining via operational field evaluations in support of Geographical Combatant Commands (GCC) Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) goals and objectives. The HD R&D Program works closely with the GCCs and the Humanitarian Demining Training Center (HDTC) to craft a research and development plan that supports GCC HMA program plans and strategic objectives and enhances mil-to-mil partnerships in key regional states and provides access to live mines/UXO around the world for operational test data collection unavailable to any other DoD organization. The HD R&D Program accomplishes the GCC support by utilizing host nation demining partners to evaluate technology in actual minefields to simultaneously achieve HMA objectives and identify performance parameters; data is delivered to the US military countermine R&D programs to inform future investment decisions. In addition to the improvements made to technologies used by U.S. forces and to the reduction of landmine and UXO threat to US forces and host nation population, the Program’s technology trainings and evaluations build mine action capacity and capability within mine-affected countries and improve safety, stability and economic development. Since 1995 the program has fielded technologies for 202 evaluations in 39 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, Cambodia, Angola and Zimbabwe. The program’s technologies have cleared 46.7 million square meters of the world’s toughest minefields; and found or destroyed 186,000 mines and UXO. New technology requirements and areas of emphasis are identified and validated at a biennial Requirements Workshop and a biennial UXO Working Group Meeting held by OASD SO/LIC. The meetings involve representatives from Department of State (DOS), GCC Humanitarian Mine Action offices, mine action organizations and mine-affected nations. The program element’s work fulfills the Department of Defense’s strategic guidance to address instability and reduce the demand for significant US force commitments to stability operations; with DODI 3000.05 to foster security, economic security and development, and build indigenous capacity; and with § 407 and CJCSI 3207.01C to reduce the social, economic and environmental impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2019
- Source ID
- 920_0603920D8Z_4_0400_PB_2019
Related Documents
- Root: Humanitarian De-mining
- Child Accomplishment: 0603920D8Z - SO/LIC Humanitarian De-mining
- Child Cost Item: c69743ea1b6f491aa7b9e4b910f27ffe
- Child Cost Item: 5494de9ad3d2638f7259ef7e881e7ad3
- Child Cost Item: 640d9aba0533c5de119048a49a10af53