Humanitarian Demining R&D Program

The HALO Trust’s Partnership with the U.S. Army

The HALO Trust USA has been a trusted partner to the U.S. Army's Humanitarian Demining Research & Development (HD R&D) Program for more than 20 years.

The program focuses on developing and field-testing new technologies for clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance in post-conflict and unstable regions worldwide. Based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the HD R&D Program develops advanced equipment while HALO provides real-world evaluations to test and improve these tools for humanitarian demining.

With robust bipartisan support, the U.S. Government has increased investment in its partnership with The HALO Trust from several million dollars annually in the early 2000s to roughly $33 million in 2024. This investment reflects the priority the United States attaches to de-mining that saves lives and safeguards communities—as well as restoring livelihoods lost because landmines and other explosive remnants of war had made farming, commerce, and other productive land uses impossible. This vital work allows families and communities to build back from conflicts and crises and pull themselves out of poverty. Demining also protects U.S. military forces, humanitarian workers, allies, and partners at risk from explosive hazards.

Since 1995, the HD R&D program—in partnership with HALO—has conducted 250 field evaluations across 44 countries, helping clear 26,600 acres of land and destroy more than 420,000 landmines and UXO.

U.S. forces and civilians on stabilization missions; U.S. manufacturers and vendors of de-mining technologies and equipment, which create American jobs; humanitarian deminers (including HALO Trust teams, MAG, and local staff); civilians living in contaminated regions; allies conducting clearance operations; and government agencies. 

Countries that have benefited include: Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Mozambique, Palau, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam, West Bank, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

HALO and the HD R&D team jointly identify operational demining challenges and test innovative technologies in the field. Demonstrations and collaborations with HALO, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), and other partners allow the HD R&D Program to adapt solutions to meet evolving threats and operational contexts. The program develops and deploys technologies for surveys, site preparation, and mine detection, clearance, neutralization, or destruction, often utilizing advanced remote-controlled technologies.

The Little STORM remote-controlled, armored mine detector can clear as much area in one day as 30 human deminers using just 5 staff. The Wirehound—a handheld, radar cable detector—doubles operational efficiency for finding small explosive components compared to traditional detectors. Prime movers are armored, tracked vehicles or robotic machines for safely clearing areas in conflict zones. HSTAMIDS (the Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System) is designed to distinguish mines from debris. Remote-controlled tillers are armored, remote-controlled machines used to prepare land for clearance by neutralizing or destroying explosives in place. Robocut is a commercial tool adapted to clear dense vegetation and tripwires that would challenge manual deminers.

In addition to host governments, other partners in piloting and evaluating demining technologies include the Danish Refugee Council, Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, Johns Hopkins University-Bloomberg School of Public Health, Landmine Relief Fund, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Momentum for Humanity, NATO’s Support & Procurement Agency, Norwegian People’s Aid, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and United Nations specialized agencies.