[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Hanwha Systems announced on the 18th that it has signed a 58 billion KRW contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration for the mass production of the 'Mine Detector-II (PRS-20K)'.
The company plans to deliver over 1,600 units of the Mine Detector-II starting in 2022, expecting that this will enable faster and more efficient mine clearance operations during military mine removal missions in the future.
According to the international NGO 'International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)', approximately 2 million landmines are estimated to be buried in the domestic Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), making it one of the highest mine densities in the world. In particular, ankle mines, made of plastic and weighing less than 100g, are highly likely to be washed away during heavy rains, and powerful wooden box mines tend to float and be easily lost during floods, posing a threat to public safety.
The Mine Detector-II uses a combined sensor of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Metal Detector (MD) to detect non-metallic mines such as wooden box and ankle mines that previous mine detectors could not find. Additionally, detected mines can be visually confirmed through images, significantly improving detection rates and reducing false alarm rates, thereby greatly enhancing detection performance, the company explained.
Lee Kwang-yeol, Head of the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division at Hanwha Systems, said, "Through this mass production, we hope our military can conduct safe operations free from the dangers of mines and contribute to preventing mine accidents. Based on proven superior performance compared to advanced countries and excellent price competitiveness, we will pioneer new export opportunities."
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