ERA Technology has been awarded a £1.3million contract by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Over the next two years, ERA will develop and trial innovative hand-held mine detectors for worldwide, humanitarian landmine clearance operations.

The ERA detector combines advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) with metal detection technology in a lightweight, hand-held product. The detector is designed specifically to reduce the instances of false alarm and improve the detection of minimum-metal 'plastic' mines. The current cost of clearing landmines averages £1million per square kilometre because of the high number of false alarms generated by existing mine detection equipment.

Better detection technology will enable nearly 33% more land to be cleared within ERA Technology has been at the leading edge in the development of mine detection technology, from bomb location in World War II to the latest array-based GPR systems capable of detecting modern plastic mines. ERA Technology was the first UK organisation to investigate the application of GPR techniques to the detection of buried minimum metal Anti-Tank (AT) and anti-Personnel (AP) mines.

DFID is the UK Government Department responsible for promoting sustainable development and reducing world poverty. The Department actively supports action to help solve the worldwide landmine problem and is working to put better equipment into the hands of the deminers.

For further information contact: david.daniels@era.co.uk