What kinds of methods are currently used to detect and disable landmines?
There are a number of tools to detect and destroy landmines. MAG’s include manual methods, mechanical methods and the use of mine detection dogs. These are often referred to as the ‘tool box’ approach to landmine clearance. What there isn’t is a silver bullet approach to clearance; it often combines a set of tools working in unison. In nearly every case manual demining is able to rise to the challenges that all remnants of conflict pose (other items of explosive ordnance are often present in minefields). Mechanical demining and dog support do have limitations and need to be more focused in the right areas to maximise their impact. Remote-controlled mechanical machines can be used in the role of scrub-cutting to remove undergrowth in preparation for manual or dog searches in the area. And mechanical flails (large machines with heavy chains/rollers) are used to detonate landmines. However, the land that they have worked on still needs to be verified 100 per cent by either manual means or
