In peacekeeping operations, mines are used against U.S. forces to slow or stop daily operations. Given the limitations of the metal detector, DOD has been conducting research and development since World War II to improve its land mine detection capability. DOD Does Not Employ An Effective Strategy For Identifying Promising Land Mine Detection Technologies

DOD’s ability to develop meaningful land mine detection solutions is limited by the absence of an effective strategy to guide its research and development program. DOD Does Not Systematically Evaluate Technological Options for Land Mine Detection Solutions

Just as DOD has failed to adequately specify countermine mission needs for assessing promising technologies, we found that it had not systematically assessed the strengths and the limitations of underlying technologies to meet mission needs. In our interviews with non-government researchers, we found that they use DOD’s announcements as their principal means for familiarizing themselves about DOD’s needs. It is Uncertain Whether DOD is Investing in the Most Promising Technologies For Land Mine Detection

Incomplete knowledge of the properties of candidate land mine detection technologies makes it difficult to assess whether DOD is investing in the most promising technologies to address countermine detection missions. Therefore, we continue to believe that the changes that we have recommended are required. Appendix I: Scope And Methodology

To determine whether the Department of Defense (DOD) employs an effective strategy for identifying the most promising land mine detection technologies, we reviewed literature related to research program design and met with experts in this area. Despite these limitations and questions, DOD is developing systems that use this technology. Other Technologies

We identified four technologies that are not based on electromagnetic principles.
Why GAO Did This Study

Recent U.S. military operations have shown that land mines continue to pose a significant threat to U.S. forces. U.S. land mine detection capabilities are limited and largely unchanged since the Second World War. Improving the Department of Defense's (DOD) land mine detection capability is a technological challenge This report reviews DOD's strategy for identifying the most promising land mine detection technologies.

What GAO Found

GAO found that DOD's ability to substantially improve its land mine detection capabilities may be limited because DOD lacks an effective strategy for identifying and evaluating the most promising technologies. Although DOD maintains an extensive program of outreach to external researchers and other nations' military research organizations, it does not use an effective methodology to evaluate all technological options to guide its investment decisions. DOD is investing in several technologies to overcome the mine detection problem, but it is not clear that DOD has chosen the most promising technologies. Because DOD has not systematically assessed potential land mine detection technologies against mission needs, GAO did its own assessment. GAO found that the technologies DOD is exploring are limited in their ability to meet mission needs or are greatly uncertain in their potential. GAO identified other technologies that might address DOD's needs, but they are in immature states of development and it is unclear whether they are more promising than the approaches that DOD is exploring.