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CAMBODIAN
MINE
ACTION
CENTRE
IN
COOPERATION
WITH
JAPAN
INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION
SYSTEMS
PROJECT
FOR
RESEARCH
AND
DEVELOPMENT
OF
MINE
CLEARANCE
RELATED
EQUIPMENT INFORMATION
LEAFLET
I.
BACKGROUND
The
Cambodian
problem
of
landmines
and UXO
has been
the
direct
result
of
decades
of wars
and
conflicts
which
have
devastated
the
country
in every
sense.
Today,
the
people
of
Cambodia
have to
deal
with one
of the
worst
impacts
of mines
and UXO
contamination
on the
surface
of the
globe.
In the
course
of these
conflicts,
each
warring
faction
has
polluted
indiscriminately
and
scattered
without
record
or
regard
to later
consequence
their
killing
tools of
mines
and
unexploded
ordinances
(UXOs).
It has
been
estimated
that
between
4 to 6
million
landmines
have
been
laid -
the
frightening
statistics
of one
landmine
for
every
two
rural
Cambodians.
In
addition,
there
are the
UXOs -
the
remains
of the
massive
air
bombing
campaign,
and the
ordinance
that
litters
the many
battlefronts,
which
are part
of the
two to
three
million
tons of
ammunition
expended
from
1970 to
1997.
Dealing
with
these
landmines
and UXO
requires
patience,
expertise,
vast
financial
resources
and
advanced
technology.
As a
leading
national
demining
organization
in
Cambodia,
and one
of the
leading
demining
organizations
worldwide,
the
Cambodian
Mine
Action
Centre
(CMAC)
has
taken
every
effort
to
increase
its
productivity
and
improve
its
efficiency.
As mine
action
evolves
and
technology
advances,
CMAC
continues
to make
enormous
efforts
to carry
out
research
and
development
of
demining
related
equipment.
The
successful
introduction
and
application
of the
mechanical
brush
cutters,
procured
in three
phases
under
the
Japanese
grant
aid
scheme,
is the
evidence
of
success
so far
in its
R&D
activities.
The
application
of these
machines
in the
minefields
has
resulted
in a
significant
increase
in
clearance
productivity.
As part
of the
continuous
effort
by CMAC
to
improve
its
demining
technology,
and as a
manifestation
by the
Japanese
Government
to
continue
to
support
mine
action
in
Cambodia
and
promote
research
and
development
of
demining
related
technology,
on 17
March
2006 the
Government
of Japan
and the
Government
of
Cambodia
signed
an
Exchange
of Notes
concerning
the
Japanese
economic
cooperation
for the
execution
of the
Project
for
Research
and
Development
of Mine
Clearance
Related
Equipment
to be
executed
by CMAC.
The aim
of the
project
is to
test and
evaluate
the
performance
and
suitability
of
demining
machines
and mine
detectors
manufactured
by
Japanese
companies
and
research
institutions.
The
Japan
International
Cooperation
Systems
(JICS)
was
selected
as a
consultant
firm to
supervise
this
important
project.
The
total
cost of
the
project
is
416,000,000
yens.
Following the signature of the Exchange of Notes, a great
deal of
work was
completed
before a
number
of
demining
machines
and mine
detectors,
employing
the
ground
penetration
radar (GPR)
technology,
were
selected
for test
and
evaluation.
The
selection
criteria
were
based on
CMAC's
standard
operations
requirements
and on
the
promising
technology
of the
equipment.
II.
EQUIPMENT
UNDER
THE TEST
AND
EVALUATION
The
following
demining
machines
and mine
detectors
(all
using
ground
penetration
radar
system)
were
selected
for test
and
evaluation
in
Cambodia
(listed
in
alphabetical
order).
They
were
selected
based
CMAC's
standard
operations
requirements
as well
as
promising
technology
for
demining
operations.
1.
Demining
Machines
1.1.
Hitachi
Flail
(Push
Type):
1.2.
Hitachi
Flail
(Swing
Type)
1.3.
Kawasaki
Mine
Bull
(Tiller
Type)
1.4.
Komatsu
(Tiller
Type)
2. Mine
Detectors
(GPR)
and
Buggy
The mine
detectors
selected
for the
test and
evaluation
project
in
Cambodia
consist
of
hand-held
type,
such as
ALIS and
Mitsui,
and
vehicle-mounted
type,
such as
ALIS
attached
to
Gryphon
and
LAMDAR
3. These
detectors
are all
ground
penetration
radar (GPR)
based,
except
Mine
Dog,
which
was
already
withdrawn
from the
project.
Gryphon
is a
buggy
for
mounting
detectors
on.
2.1.
ALIS
2.2.
Gryphon
Buggy
2.3.
Mine Dog
Metal
Detector
This
equipment
was not
shipped
to
Cambodia
due to
Kawasaki's
withdrawal
from the
Project.
Therefore
no photo
is
available
for his
item.
2.4.
Mitsui
Detector
2.5.
LAMDAR 3
It
should
be noted
that due
to
unfavorable
conditions
of the
terrain,
Kawasaki
Heavy
Industries
decided
to
withdraw
its Mine
Bull and
Mine Dog
from the
test
project.
III.
TEST
LOCATIONS
and
PROCEDURES
The
tests
and
evaluation
of the
equipment
are
conducted
in three
separate
locations:
mine
detectors
are
tested
in the
CMAC's
Regional
Centre
in Siem
Reap
(Center
for
Training
and
Research
&
Development
in Mine
Action
and
Explosive
Remnants
of War).
Performance
and
survivability
tests of
the
demining
machines
are
conducted
in the
Light
Bush
Area (a
rural
area
about 50
km from
Siem
Reap
town)
and
acceptance
tests
are
conducted
in two
real
minefields
in Bavel
District
of
Battambang
Province.
Mine
detectors
are
tested
under
dry and
wet
conditions
to
evaluate
the
capability
of the
detectors
to
detect
and
distinguish
mines
against
clutters
(metal
fragments
or other
objects
which
may
cause
false
alarms).
These
detectors
are
tested
on
carefully
constructed
lanes
resembling
the soil
conditions
in
various
areas of
Cambodia.
Soils
are
brought
in from
various
places
such as
Kampong
Thom,
Siem
Reap and
Banteay
Meanchey
to
represent
the
different
types of
soils
(sandy,
laterite
and
clay)
found in
Cambodia.
Different
types of
mines
and
clutters
commonly
found in
Cambodia
are
buried
at
different
depths
to
ensure
that
detectors
are
tested
to the
maximum
capability.
Similarly,
demining
machines
are
tested
to
evaluate
the
performance
of the
machines
under
different
conditions.
For the
performance
tests,
demining
machines
are
tested
in three
types of
lanes:
dry, wet
and
light
bush.
These
lanes
are
constructed
to
resemble
the real
minefields.
The
performance
tests
are
conducted
with
live
mines
without
booster.
Survivability
tests
are
conducted
against
anti-tank
mines to
measure
the
extent
of
damage
to the
machine
and
impact
on the
operator
inside
the
cabin.
Acceptance
tests
are
conducted
in the
real
minefields
to
assess
the
performance
and
efficiency
of the
machines
in real
operations.
These
mine
detectors
and
demining
machines
are
operated
by CMAC
operators,
with
reasonable
training
from the
manufacturers
1. Mine
Detector
Test
Site in
Siem
Reap
2. Light
Bush
Test
Site
3. Real
Minefield
Test
Site
IV.
OTHER
INFORMATION
Public
Exhibition:
Contacts:
-
Address
of
the
Siem
Reap
Regional
Centre:
NR
6,
Anlong
Pi
Village,
Bakong
District,
Siem
Reap
Province
(approx.
20
km
from
Siem
Reap
town).
-
For
more
information,
please
contact
H.E.
Heng
Ratana,
Deputy
Director
General,
at
012
800
169.
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