Army Humanitarian Demining R&D Program

The Army’s Humanitarian Demining R&D Program (HD R&D), located at Ft. Belvoir in Virginia, develops and tests specialized technologies to more safely and efficiently detect and clear landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that endanger U.S. forces performing stability operations, demining operators, and civilians.

*250 field evaluations in 44 countries since 1995

Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Mozambique, Palau, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam, West Bank, Yemen, Zimbabwe

The R&D team contracts with humanitarian operators to identify demining challenges that require technological solutions and to test equipment in real field conditions and provide feedback on equipment performance. This information allows HR R&D to improve equipment for humanitarian or military use.

The Army’s HD R&D program develops critical landmine/UXO clearing technologies and performs research on the use of such equipment to make demining safer and more efficient for U.S. forces, humanitarian deminers, allied nations conducting demining operations. These technologies will:

Save lives: 
HD R&D allows U.S. and allied nations to reduce hazards that pose a significant threat to U.S. forces performing stabilization operations, humanitarian deminers, and civilians.

Support the military:
Data from field evaluations improves military equipment and informs procurement decisions, while building capacity of allied nations with HD R&D equipment reduces the U.S. footprint.

Create multi-agency results:
Greater efficiencies from HD R&D technologies increase returns on State Department humanitarian demining investments.

Support US jobs:
Many HD R&D machines and attachments are purchased from U.S. companies, supporting American jobs.

HD R&D is developing specialized equipment to address the challenges of urban warfare in countries like Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Yemen. New tools are needed to help deminers detect and destroy hazards found within rubble and collapsed buildings, and efficiently locate IED components such as small wires and batteries in switches.