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Successfully collecting 200 tons of explosive remnants of war in Libya

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Both Libyan civil wars of 2011 and 2014, which are still ongoing today, have left the North African Nation with an Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) contamination of approximately 80 square kilometres. The hundreds of NATO strikes on Ammunition Stockpile Areas has also resulted in more ERW contamination and uncontrolled access to the damaged ammunition storage facilities. Due to the threat posed by the explosives to the local population, as well as potential looting by criminal and terrorist groups, a coordinated effort to rapidly clear these ERW is essential to stabilizing the region.

In 2018 the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) awarded Global Clearance Solutions (GCS) the contract for the project “Explosive Remnant of War Destruction in Misrata.” The main goal of this project is to collect and destroy 200 tons of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), which can include hazardous items as well as scrap metal. The ERW is collected from an Ammunition Storage Area (ASA) on a military airbase in Misrata composed of 37 bunkers destroyed by NATO airstrikes in 2011.

STRONG LOCAL PARTNERSHIP

GCS selected the Libyan NGO Free Fields Foundation (3F) as its implementing partner and together built a competent team combining international expertise with local know-how and presence.

REDUCING PROJECT RISKS WITH THE GCS-100

In addition to sending EOD experts to Libya, GCS has also sent a mechanical asset, the GCS-100, which is a remote-control, multi-purpose platform suited for the handling of various forms of explosive material. The GCS-100 will significantly reduce the risk in the project, especially during the moving of unstable ERWs in difficult terrain. The GCS-100 is the first remote-control, mine clearance / EOD system of its kind in Libya. Additionally, GCS will train a team of 3F operators and mechanics on the Equipment.

PROJECT MILESTONES

The ERW clearance is separated into several phases. The ERW assessment of 220'000 square meters around the bunkers revealed a contamination of 2 UXOs per square meter while the rest of the ASA has a contamination of approximately 1 UXO per 1000 square meters. A wide variety of ammunition and ammunition parts were identified ranging from small caliber ammunition to aircraft bombs and long-range missiles. The conditions ranged from completely destroyed to undamaged items.

During the Planning and Preparation phase SOPs and implementation plans were submitted to UNMAS and LibMAC for review. GCS also started training local EOD teams in Battle Area Clearance (BAC) and ERW Search Methodologies, Marking, Clearance Site Layout, Ammunition Recognition, Basic Life Support (BLS) and other relevant tasks. This phase ended once both EOD teams were accredited by the LibMAC in November 2018.

In December phase 3, Selected Site Clearance, officially started and it comprised the collection of hazardous items and separation into scrap metal and ERWs. In March, phase 4, Demolitions, started with the bulk demolitions and burning of the dangerous explosives-containing ERW. This phase is considered the most critical and was implemented in close coordination with the local authorities to ensure all safety measures are respected.

As of March 2019, GCS and 3F have collected a cumulative total of more than 200 tons of ERW and scrap metal of which 40 tons of ERW were successfully destroyed through bulk demolitions and burning. An estimated 12’500 square meters BAC was also conducted on the ASA.

All remaining material has been categorized as “safe to transport”, “safe to move” and “not safe to move” and will be disposed of using the applicable safety procedures. The final Demobilization phase will consist of an additional clean up and final report assessing remaining hazards and lessons learned for future projects.

Looking ahead, with this task successfully completed there are many more challenges awaiting the authorities. There are all sorts of ammunition with various degrees of contamination scattered in difficult-to-access areas. Future projects will have to take this fact into consideration and apply the methodologies needed to reduce the risks for human beings in order to render Libya safe.

High-Risk IED Clearance Operations in Iraq

Littered with large volumes of explosive ordnance, Iraq ranks as one of the most extensively contaminated countries worldwide. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) occupation of 2014-2017, left in its wake an IED-proliferation of previously unseen magnitude. While long-term stabilisation efforts have resulted in some progress, many areas remain uninhabitable and inaccessible, preventing approximately 1.4 million internally displaced persons from returning to their areas of origin. GCS acknowledges the urgency of addressing explosive ordnance threats to save lives and to enable the provision of humanitarian, stabilisation and development support to the population of Iraq. In 2020 GCS was awarded an UNOPS/UNMAS contract to conduct high-risk IED (improvised explosive device) clearance operations in Iraq.

HIGH-RISK OPERATIONS

Clearance operations are conducted in regions of Tal Afar, which are considered ‘high-risk’ due to the presence of a full-spectrum threat of IEDs. During ISIL’s retreat in these areas, booby traps and minefield-style obstacle belts were laid in staggering numbers in public and private infrastructure including houses, schools, hospitals and playgrounds. Unexploded IEDs lie hidden under rubble, littering roads and farmland, preventing any attempt at re-establishing vital infrastructure to cities.

As part of the project, GCS clearance experts are tasked with highly complex and challenging undertakings involving the search, identification, neutralisation and removal of these explosive ordnance. In addition to search and clearance tasks, GCS recruits and trains local staff to deliver emergency Risk Education (RE) to people returning to, or residing in, contaminated areas. The mobilisation phase of the project was completed in the Spring of 2020. As a result, GCS successfully passed the UNMAS Iraq operational review.

LOCAL CAPACITY BUILDING

Although national staff have been the cornerstone of high-risk search teams in Iraq, to-date explosive ordnance management projects traditionally placed a reliance on international teams to manage most operational activities, such as specialist IEDD and EOD capacities. This project seeks to turn that around by fully transitioning the clearance capability to local national clearance teams. Two GCS international experts are providing guidance, advice and mentoring to an entirely national team, and are responsible for managing all elements of their operational activity as well as a program of continuing professional development.

As the operational phase progresses, it is expected that the teams will become increasingly independent, so that by the end of the contract an effective self-sustaining and self-supervising local national capability is produced. GCS is dedicated to the full transitioning of IED clearance activities to national entities as a crucial key step in restabilising and rebuilding Iraq.

GENDER EQUALITY

One very crucial element of the project is that GCS incorporates provisions toward gender equality and the empowerment of women in all aspects of recruitment, retention, and training. Senior management is required to integrate outreach towards population groups who are socially discriminated against, and to encourage staff to include a gender and diversity-focused objective within all action plans. GCS has recruited and is training many young women in a variety of roles including Searchers, Risk Education Officers and project management staff. GCS has focused on recruiting and training young men and women, since youth unemployment is one of the greatest challenges facing Iraq.

THE ROAD AHEAD

Iraq’s national authority, the DMA, aims to render safe 50 percent of known contamination by 2021. “Until all types of explosive ordnance are cleared, and areas made safe, displaced Iraqis cannot safely return home. This project is a crucial step in rebuilding Iraq. GCS is greatly committed to supporting the goal of explosive threat mitigation by delivering this critical work,” explains GCS CEO Philipp von Michaelis

How to enhance and extend the lifetime of military equipment

At the beginning of the 2019, the German Army delivered the first of seven complete MineWolf systems to the GCS manufacturing site in the South of Germany for a regular mechanical assets overhaul. Since then our experienced technical staff in Stockach worked hard, disassembling and reassembling every last component, until they were confident that the system would operate as new. With the return of the enhanced MW240 to the German Army this December, GCS is proud to announce the successful completion of its first workshop system repair. GCS plans to do the regular overhaul for a total of seven complete systems with a variety of attachments, as well as the required workshop infrastructure, by the year 2022. Hagen Fischer, Head of Product Development at GCS, and former EOD operator at the EOD Training Centre in Stetten am kalten Markt says, “we are very pleased with the first complete overhaul of the platform and of its components. The hard work has really paid off.”

LONG-TERM PARTNERS

GCS is a long-time and trusted partner of the German Army and has fulfilled several maintenance contracts in recent years. The systems were originally delivered in 2010/2011 to provide the German Army with an urgently needed C-IED capability for the ISAF mission in Afghanistan and have proven to be an effective tool in neutralising Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) laid by the insurgents. Since then, GCS implemented multiple upgrades and made sure the equipment was always mission-ready.

STAYING OPERATIONAL AT ALL TIMES

The ultimate goal for any army is to keep their mechanical assets operational all the time, so the machines need to be maintained on a regular basis. As the machines were purchased many years ago, it is to be expected that some of the parts will age with time, some will break, others need to be overhauled and some components become obsolete. This is where GCS steps in. “Servicing and maintaining mechanical assets in line with the German Army’s requirements is a complex task and demands a thorough understanding of military maintenance procedures,” adds Fischer, who served 12 years with the German Army prior to working at GCS.

A service which GCS offers to any clients with GCS and MineWolf machines, the overhaul of the mechanical assets includes a very meticulous check of the main components to ascertain which ones need to be replaced, and which need to be overhauled. Not only does the overhaul extend the lifetime of the military equipment, it guarantees that the machine runs as new.

SOLUTIONS TO MEET CLIENT REQUIREMENTS

In the case of the German army, the overhaul was conducted in our manufacturing site in Germany. However, in line with our commitment to meet specific client requirements, GCS provides the overhaul service to military clients in their own military bases and abroad. In some cases, the overhaul may include new developments to meet specific requirements. For instance, some of our clients abroad must adhere to specific in-country safety regulations. GCS can suggest developments to be included in the machine to address these regulations. In other cases, there are new operational requirements and the current machine needs to be amended to meet these requirements, for instance a client may have the requirement for an additional camera on the machine, or on one of the attachments.

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GCS supporting humanitarian demining in Colombia

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Colombia’s problem with landmines and other Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) is the result of more than fifty years of conflict with illegal armed groups. As of July 2018, Descontamina Colombia reported that anti-personnel mines had claimed 11,615 victims between 1990 and 31 July 2018. The National Mine Action database indicates that 30 out of Colombia’s 32 departments are mine/ERW contaminated. Survey and clearance operations in Colombia have found that the contamination consists primarily of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), often acting like standard anti-personnel mines, planted along roads and footpaths, schools and homes, and other infrastructure. Colombia’s clearance output increased in 2017 as did the demining capacity within the country, with HALO Trust, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), Humanity & Inclusion (HI) and the Campaña Colombiana Contra Minas (CCCM) all conducting humanitarian demining.

TEAM BEHIND GCS HELPING IN COLOMBIA FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS

GCS has been active in Colombia supporting the Colombian National Army and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with their efforts against the deadly weapons. The team behind Global Clearance Solutions (GCS) has been providing mechanical assets, training and maintenance support in Colombia for more than ten years.

HUMANITY & INCLUSION (HI) SELECTS GCS SOLUTION FOR ITS CLEARANCE TASKS

HI began with humanitarian demining in Colombia in 2017. They currently conduct clearance using only manual demining, which is very dangerous, demands a lot of human resources and is very time consuming. To increase the overall safety and efficiency of clearance operations, HI was looking for a mechanical solution that is versatile, compact, easy to use, and suitable for the demanding environment of Colombia.

GCS demonstrated the GCS-100 system with the tiller attachment to HI in May 2018, and HI’s representatives were able to identify the benefits of the GCS-100 platform: it’s very low fuel consumption, as well as ease of transport, logistics and maintenance. Based on these findings, HI decided to utilize this asset to enhance their productivity on a project in San Vicente del Caguán, in the Department of Caquetá. The project includes three weeks training for operators on the GCS-100 machine, and an additional three months of mechanical operations with the GCS-100 machine.

For the project in San Vicente del Caguán, GCS is providing all the support equipment (i.e. trailer, workshop, spare parts, etc.) to render the operations effective. GCS is also providing an experienced Field Technician (FT) who has conducted a 3-week training course for HI’s operators and mechanics and will provide daily service and maintenance support during the three months of mechanical operations.

San Vicente del Caguán is the third municipality with the highest number of MAP / UXO victims in Colombia (261 between 1990 and August 2017), and with a very high estimated pollution (842 registered IMSMA events). The economy of the municipality revolves mainly around livestock, agriculture (banana, cassava, beans, coffee, pineapple, etc.) and the extraction of wood. However, the presence of explosive devices hinders the development of these activities. Through a comprehensive action against antipersonnel mines, HI intends to improve security and allow the socioeconomic development of vulnerable rural populations and victims of MAP / UXO in this municipality.

The overall goal of the project in San Vicente del Caguán, Department of Caquetá, is to improve security and allow the socioeconomic development of rural communities and victims of MAP / UXO. A specific goal of the project is to allow secure access to land through non-technical demining and demining activities for productive use and socio-economic development.

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Supporting Humanity & Inclusion in the heart of the Sahara Desert

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Despite Chad’s recently acquired status as an oil-exporting state, most of the population of the semi-desert country continues to live in poverty. Chad has been plagued by a succession of conflicts from the 1960s up to the Libyan conflict of the 1980s, leaving behind a deadly legacy of landmine contamination and other explosive remnants of war (ERW). Ongoing clashes in the country, as well as in neighbouring countries demonstrate how non-state armed groups can exploit instabilities and pervious borders. The presence of great amounts of unsecured explosives increase the likelihood of their entering the black market, which further impacts the country's stability. Clearing contaminated areas remains one of the major challenges for Chad, both in terms of saving lives and advancing development. It is estimated that 300,000 people are living under the constant threat of anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines. These often invisible, yet fatal enemies obstruct safe access to housing, roads, water points, and pastures. Their negative impact on the socio-economic development of the country is particularly severe in the regions of Borkou and Ennedi, which are also among the country’s poorest areas.

GCS COMMISSIONED BY HUMANITY & INCLUSION

In light of this situation, GCS was commissioned in 2018 by the international aid organisation Humanity & Inclusion (HI), formally known as Handicap International, to supply a mechanical landmine clearance solution for the EU-funded project "Support for mine clearance, development and the social protection of vulnerable people". This project is in consortium with the Mine Advisory Group (MAG), Le Secours Catholique et Développement (SECADEV) and the Fondation Suisse pour le Déminage (FSD) and aims to identify and clear areas affected by mines and explosive remnants of war, and to promote overall development in Borkou and Ennedi. HI specifically required a versatile, remote-operated system that can use several types of tool attachments and be easily implemented in the harsh environment of the deployment ground in Chad. The GCS-200 was selected as the best fit. This product is an unmanned multi-purpose EOD platform designed for heavy-duty clearance tasks with maximum survivability in high-threat environments.

GCS IN ACTION – TRAINING AND CLEARANCE

GCS conducted 4-week training program for three local HI operators to learn how to operate and perform maintenance tasks on the equipment. In February 2019, in order to speed up the demining process on the 1.5 million square meters of land still estimated to be contaminated, the HI team began working with the GCS-200 remote controlled, tracked platform. The machine is highly robust and can be used under extreme conditions. "On very large, relatively flat and unplanted areas, for example in a desert, the mine clearing machine offers considerable support to the demining teams. We are currently working near Faya-Largeau under such conditions," explains Jason Mudingay Lufuluabo, head of HI's demining team in Chad. Up to now, HI’s team in Chad has cleared over 100,000 square meters by using the GCS-200 remote controlled machine.

GCS is also providing mentoring and service support to HI’s operators and mechanics during their daily operational activities which enables them to gain more confidence and proficiency in using and maintaining the equipment. This approach will facilitate maximum output of the equipment in Chad’s challenging environment. GCS intends to be present on the ground for at least a few more months to support HI with technical and operational know-how and support as the project progresses.