Background

In May 2005 the United States Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (WRAS) initited a five year, global integrated weapons removal and abatement programme.

The programme provides for all aspects of humanitarian mine action, such as: project management; mine clearance; mine risk education; victim assistance; weapons stockpile destruction; logistical support and training of local authorities; as well as the destruction of small arms/light weapons and hand held surface to air missiles in areas of recent conflict worldwide

ArmorGroup Actions

A team headed by ArmorGroup North America, including Cranfield University, AlphaInsight, Environmental Chemical Corporation and EG&G, was one of three contractor groups awarded a prime WRAS contract.

Since the WRAS contract was awarded the ArmorGroup team has carried out the following Mine Action projects around the world:

• Assessment of the Laos Humanitarian Mine Action programme;
• Humanitarian Mine Action capacity building and mentoring for the military demining units of the Government of Mozambique;
• Capacity building and mentoring in the areas of mechanical demining, Mine Detection Dogs and UXO house clearance for the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action:
• Destruction of Man Portable Man Defense Systems (MANPADS)

Results

ArmorGroup has completed all of its projects successfully, exceeding contract specifications, and continues to support programmes in both Mozambique and Azerbaijan