New technology doubles clearance speed
Story by Tom Morgan
Cutting-edge unexploded ordnance (UXO) detection equipment introduced to Laos by Mines Advisory Group (MAG) will double the speed the organisation can clear land. This in turn paves the way for other organisations in the UXO sector to benefit from the latest technology.
‘Based on tests we have conducted since September last year, we are confident that we will see a 100% increase in clearance speed. This means we can double the amount of land we clear in a day,’ said Stefan De Coninck, MAG’s Technical Operations Manager.
MAG team leaders completed training on operating the new equipment last week. They are now able to use two types of detectors manufactured by Italian company CEIA and will in turn train other team members and villagers involved in MAG’s Village Assisted Clearance methodology.
The new detectors make such a huge difference to clearance speeds for two reasons. Firstly, they are able to distinguish between laterite (high metal content in the soil), metal fragments and UXO. In the past, clearance was slowed by the need to investigate every reading from a detector.
Secondly, the new detectors are the first active detection equipment used in Laos designed specifically for finding UXO rather than landmines. This means that operators can search by walking in a straight line down marked lanes – which is much quicker than using mine detectors which necessitate the use of a ‘side to side’ search.
Ms Jo Durham, Country Programme Manager for MAG Lao, said that most of the detectors were funded by the European Commission with some funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). ‘Our donors have given us the opportunity to make use of current technology in a way that will bring enormous benefits to Laos,’ she said.
MAG Lao has a strong track record of innovation in the UXO sector. Apart from the new detection equipment, MAG also pioneered the use of community members in clearance activities - successfully increasing productivity - and trialled the use of dogs to detect explosives.
Back to top
