Mine detection dogs (MDD) have an established role in humanitarian Mine Action. Deployed under the guidelines of International Mine Action Standards, they are a fast and efficient tool in the existing toolbox, clearing 10mx10m ‘boxes’ where vegetation has been cut in preparation for their search. However, their role has been expanded and this has led to a new type of detection dog called the ‘Technical Survey Dog’ (TSD). Like MDD, they are used to establish the presence/absence of mines or ERW in suspected hazardous areas, but the circumstances in which they do so has changed drastically.
Apopo is the first organization to deploy TSD. The dogs have been trained to search lanes of 28 meters, and are equipped with technology that registers where they have searched and where they indicate. And, in most cases, no prior vegetation cutting is necessary. TSD have been validated during a project in Cambodia, which included 1,5 million m2 minefields and 0,75 million m2 cluster munition areas. TSD located 261 landmines and explosives remnants of war during the survey. Validation through manual clearance confirmed the dogs had not missed any items and had an acceptable level of unproductive responses. TSD are now ready for deployment as technical survey tool and are currently used by Apopo in Cambodia, South Sudan, Angola and Turkey.