Demining is about thoroughness rather than speed

The physical environment in which we work dictates our choice of tools. Primarily this includes soil conditions, vegetation, buildings, type of area and the kind of devices it is infested with.

The tools required might be:

• Manual demining
• Mechanical units
• Mine dogs

Advantages and disadvantages
There are always pros and cons. Manual demining is reliable but relatively slow. Mechanical units and mine dogs are fast but are not quite as reliable. It goes without saying that an area, which has been scrupulously worked over with a mine prodder or a metal detector centimetre by centimetre will probably be rendered safer than a field worked more quickly with a mechanical unit.

The thing to keep in mind is the schism between sophisticated technological tools and setting up a system that can be managed by local forces when our role is played out. Mechanical units are also very expensive and sophisticated workshops need to be set up to support them. In addition, the terrain or the local infrastructure may simply not allow heavy machinery to be brought in.

Manuel demining
Our experience shows that an expert with a metal detector can clear an area of 30 - 150 square meters daily, depending on soil conditions, metal contamination, density of mines and vegetation cover.

If a detector cannot be used due to high metal or mineral content in the soil, high fragmentation, or the presence of plastic mines with a low metal content, the mine prodder comes into action. By prodding the ground at 2,5 cm intervals then scraping the soil away down to a depth of 20 cm, a deminer can only clear an area of 3 - 15 square meters daily again depending on soil conditions and vegetation.

Mine detection dogs
Mine dogs are primarily used in areas where mine danger is judged to be low or medium. They do not clear mines, but simply search and identify areas that are infested with mines or polluted with unexploded ordnance. The dogs track the scent of explosives and when they smell a mine, sit beside it to mark the spot. The manual deminers will then take over to investigate what the dog has detected. We have excellent experience using mine dogs for area reduction in tandem with manual deminers. The dogs generally search in open areas, while the deminers cover areas with thick vegetation and other difficult terrain. A team of 2 dogs and one dog handler can typically search 300 - 500 square meters per day.

Mechanical clearance
Mechanical demining machines are a good supplement to the manual deminer and mine dogs. As an example, an armoured tractors equipped with vegetation cutters can improve the efficiency of manual demining by 50 - 70 %, depending on the type of vegetation. Mine flails (rotating metal chains attached to an armoured vehicle) can also be used on flat areas with little vegetation cover such as fields, open ground and roads. They are able to clear light vegetation and detonate mines in the ground which results in faster follow up by manual deminers or mine dogs. Armoured bulldozers are deployed in rubble-strewn urban areas and in terrain with hard and difficult soil.