Alternative Technologies to Replace Antipersonnel Landmines

This book examines potential technologies for replacing antipersonnel landmines by 2006, the U.S. target date for signing an international treaty banning these weapons. Alternative Technologies to Replace Antipersonnel Landmines emphasizes the role that technology can play to allow certain weapons to be used more selectively, reducing the danger to uninvolved civilians while improving the effectiveness of the U.S. military. Landmines are an important weapon in the U.S. military’s arsenal but the persistent variety can cause unintended casualties, to both civilians and friendly forces. New technologies could replace some, but not all, of the U.S. military’s antipersonnel landmines by 2006. In the period following 2006, emerging technologies might eliminate the landmine totally, while retaining the necessary functionalities that today’s mines provide to the military. Table of ContentsFront MatterExecutive Summary1 Introduction2 National Security Environments and the Context for Landmines3 Current Uses of Antipersonnel Landmines4 Evaluation Methodology5 Alternatives Available Today6 Alternatives Available by 20067 Alternatives Potentially Available After 20068 Conclusions and RecommendationsReferencesAppendix A: Biographical Sketches of Committee MembersAppendix B: Committee MeetingsAppendix C: Current Types of U.S. LandminesAppendix D: Value of Antipersonnel Landmines in Unprotected Mixed MinefieldsAppendix E: The Ottawa Convention and Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Conventional WeaponsAppendix F: Signatories to the Ottawa Convention and Their Alternatives to LandminesAppendix G: Mission Need Statements