Fort Belvoir, Virginia — With each calculated step, a mechanical “dog” carefully navigates a field of danger, its every move a delicate dance of survival. This isn’t just a machine wandering aimlessly; it’s a drone, built for the sole purpose of keeping humans away from the peril of landmines. Strapped to its back is a collection of advanced cameras, GPS devices, thermal imaging, and artificial intelligence (AI) software. Together, they work to detect deadly threats buried beneath the earth.
The field it walks is a test ground, part of a U.S. Army research center in Virginia, where scientists like Kendall V. Johnson are developing technology that could change the future of warfare and human safety. As it approaches a circular plate simulating a mine, the machine hesitates, its AI warning it to steer clear of danger. “It knows when to stop,” said Johnson, an Army physicist, “but sometimes it doesn’t. We’re working on that.” The drones are part of a broader effort to revolutionize how the world deals with landmines, a persistent and deadly threat that has hardly changed in fifty years.
The Future of Defense: AI-Powered Drones Detect Landmines
Drones have already transformed modern warfare, most notably in the skies above Ukraine. In this new era, they are not just tools of destruction but also of salvation. The ability to detect and remove landmines offers a path forward for safer battlefields. As Colin King, a weapons expert and co-founder of Fenix Insight, a British company working on demining technology, eloquently puts it, “Drones have caused great destruction in this war. But I see a beautiful symmetry in their potential to offer part of the solution.”
King’s company is at the forefront of this revolution. Using artificial intelligence, they’ve developed software that allows drones not only to detect landmines but also to predict where they are likely to be hidden. By analyzing open-source intelligence and monitoring social media reports from active conflict zones, the software can pinpoint locations where militaries may have planted mines or where rocket-fired munitions may have scattered them across fields.
Earlier this year, King combined this groundbreaking software with Ace High Drone Specialists, another British company, to deploy drones in Kherson, Ukraine. The drones successfully identified several Russian TM-62 anti-tank mines, which were buried just beneath the surface, hidden in the thick grass and soil.
The Hidden Danger: A Landscape Littered with Mines
Ukraine is now one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Experts estimate that nearly one-third of its territory needs to be cleared of landmines. These explosive devices have hampered Ukrainian forces in their efforts to reclaim the Donbas region from Russian occupation. Russian forces have used landmines as a cruel strategy, launching missile systems filled with mines behind Ukrainian front lines, cutting off supply routes, and forcing troops into dangerous territory.
In such a chaotic landscape, knowing where these threats lie is crucial. That’s where the AI-powered drones come into play. They help military forces make faster, safer decisions, identifying the safest routes through perilous terrain. “Sensing where the mines are is the hardest part,” King explains. “You can’t begin to clear the field until you know what’s hiding beneath it.”
AI and the Path Ahead: From Detection to Destruction
The work being done at Fort Belvoir focuses on detection. The ultimate goal, however, is to develop technology that will not only locate landmines but also destroy them. The idea of a drone scanning the ground, identifying a hidden mine, and detonating it remotely is not far-fetched. Johnson, who has worked on these drones, imagines a future where soldiers can sit safely miles away, pressing a button to neutralize a mine.
“I see a future where a drone can find a mine, and someone can just click a button to confirm, ‘Yes, that’s a mine,’ and then click again to make it disappear,” Johnson said. While the technology isn’t quite there yet, advancements in AI and drone capabilities suggest it won’t be long before this dream becomes a reality.
The slow, methodical evolution of landmine detection has taken a significant leap forward with the integration of AI and drones. In war-torn regions like Ukraine, where mines present an ever-present danger to civilians and soldiers alike, these innovations bring a glimmer of hope. Drones are no longer just tools of war—they’re becoming beacons of a safer tomorrow.
