South Korean Mine Detector Capable of Finding Non-metal Explosives

South Korea has developed a new mine detector capable of finding non-metal explosives, such as wooden-boxed land mines using the country’s indigenous technologies, the government’s arms procurement agency said.

Equipped with a ground penetrating radar, the PRS-20K detector also has an improved detection rate in finding metallic mines compared with the PRS-17K currently used by the military since the late 1990s, according to the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA).

Developed by Hanwha Systems  since 2015, the new mine detector is expected to be deployed in 2022, officials cited by Yonhap said.

“The new mine detector is expected to help minimise possible casualties during the rainy season by land mines swept to civilian areas. It can also be used for the war remains excavation project inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ),” the agency said in a statement. –shp/mgm

(Top image, provided by DAPA Dec 14, shows the country’s new PRS-20K mine detector)