U.S. Department of Defense Humanitarian Demining Research and Development Program

The U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research and Development (HD R&D) program, based at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia develops, demonstrates, and validates new landmine and UXO detection and clearance technologies.The program uses a rapid development process that focuses on transforming commercial off the-shelf-equipment into demining technologies that are improving the safety and efficiency of mine clearance worldwide. The HD R&D program also uses mature technologies or leverages existing military countermine technologies for the humanitarian demining role.

HD R&D partners with humanitarian demining organizations to conduct operational field evaluations in their own demining sites and provide assessment and feedback on new technologies. Field evaluations are one of the most important aspects of the HD R&D program because the equipment undergoes testing in actual minefields. These evaluations allow HD R&D and its implementing partner in a given country to determine whether the equipment is useful, cost-effective and efficient, and is key to HD R&D’s success in research and development.

HD R&D’s current technology development areas include hazardous area confirmation, vegetation/obstacle clearance, mine and UXO detection, mechanical-mine and UXO clearance, mechanical-mine neutralization, post-clearance quality control, and information management. Technology development plans are based on feedback from field evaluations and biannual requirements workshops with implementing partners and country programs.

In 2020 HD R&D performed testing and operational field evaluations in Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, Palau, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam, the West Bank and Zimbabwe. Since 1995 HD R&D technologies have cleared over 80 million square meters (19,768 acres)and removed or destroyed approximately 227,600 mines and UXO. The program has fielded technologies in support of 239 operational field evaluations in 43 countries.The program receives funding and strategic oversight from the Department of Defense Deputy Assistant Secretary for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs and coordinates with the U.S. DoD Geographical Combatant Commands’HMA officers and the U.S. Department of State’s PM/WRA.http://humanitarian-demining.org