Cambodia's severe landmine and ERW contamination stems from nearly three decades of war beginning in the 1970s when the Vietnamese-backed government created the K5 belt along the Thai border to prevent infiltration by the Khmer Rouge and guerrillas. The K5 mine belt is a densely-mined barrier, from 10 to 150 meters wide, and stretches 700 kilometers. Combatants on both sides laid additional scattered minefields and Cambodia further suffered heavy ERW contamination during the Vietnam War. There are more than 800 casualties each year, nearly all occurring in the border provinces due to demand for agricultural resources. In addition, economic need drives dangerous recycling of UXO for its scrap metal value.

Sources: To Walk the Earth in Safety, June 2006
Landmine Monitor Report, 2006

EXPLOSIVE HARVESTING SYSTEM

The Explosive Harvesting System (EHS) consists of a cutting assembly, steaming assembly, power assembly, and complete tool set. EHS extracts and recasts explosives into small disposal charges for in-situ mine neutralization and destroying other explosive remnants. The system provides mine action agencies with low-cost explosives, while safely disposing of ammunition stockpiles and returning scrap metal to the community.

PARTNERS: Cambodia Mine Action Center, Golden West Humanitarian Foundation

HSTAMIDS

The Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System, or HSTAMIDS, is the U.S. Army's dual sensor, handheld detector that combines an electromagnetic induction sensor and ground penetrating radar (GPR) to detect landmines. The addition of the GPR significantly reduces the detector's false alarm rate, thus reducing the operator's overall clutter investigations and increasing the operator's speed and effectiveness.

PARTNERS: The Halo Trust - Cambodia, Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia;Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia

MULTI-TOOLED EXCAVATOR/ATTACHMENTS

Providing reach-in capability for safe operations with manned equipment, Multi-Tooled Excavators offer highly flexible platforms from which operators can conduct ground preparation and specialized mine clearing processes. The combination of tools for sifting, shredding, and combined function excavation and sifting, is tailored to suit local conditions and demining requirements. The attachments can be fitted to the demining organization’s own armored excavator.

PARTNERS: The HALO Trust - Afghanistan, Mines Advisory Group - Iraq, Cambodia Mine Action Center, Chilean National Demining Commission

TEMPEST

The Tempest is an affordable, remote-controlled, multi-purpose mechanical system capable of clearing medium vegetation, reducing metal debris, eliminating tripwires, and engaging the ground to initiate landmines in anti-personnel minefields. It uses an interchangeable cutting flail and slasher to clear vegetation, and a ground engagement flail to prepare the land for manual demining. Integrated and independent magnet arrays are added to remove metallic debris from the soil's surface, reducing the false alarms of follow-on detection technologies.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia, Thailand Mine Action Center, National Demining Center of Ecuador

MAXX PLUS

MAXX Plus is a small, remote-controlled, excavator-based mechanical system that clears medium vegetation in various environments. MAXX Plus is the newest design, consisting of a commercial excavator-based platform, and several commercial-off-the-shelf vegetation clearing and soil sifting attachments. These interchangeable attachments include mulcher, sifting fork, rotar bucket, and standard construction style bucket. A five meter rotating articulating arm provides "reach-in" capability, allowing the system to operate from previously cleared areas, reducing the risk of damage if a mine is detonated.

PARTNERS: Mines Advisory Group - Cambodia