Military Use of Metal Detectors?

[SaginawIan]

I saw a picture of a soldier using a metal detector in Iraq and it got me curious as to what they might use them for and what brand detector they use. I'm guessing for land mines or something. Does anyone know?

Ian

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

NATO uses minelabs (not a commercial version). Don't know about US troops. I'm guessing they use them to detect buried metal objects.

 

[ericwt]

Do not know the brand that the USA uses. They are for finding land mines and small weapons caches.

They are Pulse Induction.

 

[Ant]

Yeah, we also look for land minds and in this war we use them to detect IED's and their components like wires, transmitters and such.

 

[mrtoog]

The Canadian forces use minelab.

http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/lf/English/2_display.asp?product=128

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

And what does this tell everyone !!!!

Minelab is where its at...

Or the lowest bidder. Or they got some politician full-season box seats.

The military cares about making sure a strapping 18 year old can find recently buried 5 to 500 lb. land-mines in all conditions. Not coins in undisturbed soil with minimal effort, economic outlay and discomfort.

Though I am curious as to who supplies the U.S. Used to be Fisher long, long ago.

 

[ericwt]

Wow! They have Upgraded.

I want one!

 

[99thpercentile]

As a previous poster noted, the AN/PSS-14 is the standard issue. For military use one of the considerations is size and weight. There are a number of units that are used worldwide for landmine detection in military and humanitarian demining work. Look up the EUDEM metal detector comparison report on Google. The most common aspects of the lanmine metal detectors is light weight, ground balancing, minimal user adjustability and variable sensitivity. I have used the Minelabs F3 and the Foerster MINEX 2FD 4.500. Both are between $2K and $3K. The Minelabs is time domain using the Candy variable period patent and the Foerster is frequency domain using two frequencies. Some other similarities are the ways that they can be carried. Both are collapseable and height adjustable. They can be used standing, kneeling or lying prone on the ground while using a non-ferrous mine probe in the other hand. There are no displays or adjustments other than on/off and volume. The Minelabs has two interchangeable sensitivity packages, one is red and the other is black and it is quite simple for a supervisor to see which package is in use from behind the operator. I have a bit of experience in this area since I am a geophysicist who looks for landmines and UXO and I have been to Iraq. Feel free to ask other questions.

 

[SaginawIan]

Thanks for all the info. I guess I thought about how metal detectors to the Iraq soldiers may save their lives, and for us it's a hobby that is fun and games. Puts things in perspective . . I would love to get my hands on one of those military grade detectors, amazing features!

Ian

 

[jeff of pa]

MINELAB Countermine Detectors

http://www.minelab.com/countermine/


Products Page

http://www.minelab.com/countermine/page.php?section=126

 

[jeff of pa]

I want this Minelab

 

[ericwt]

How much is that one? Can regular people buy it?

 

[jeff of pa]

How much is that one? Can regular people buy it?

Probably cost more then the Truck.

Would make a great Cache, & Meteorite detector
if it gets depth.

I would think it has a sense. Control.

I think landmines are all placed less then a foot
deep, so depth wouldn't be real important
to landmine hunters.

 

[cillosis]

I am in the Navy and thought I would show you guys this re-enlistment somebody did...kinda neat:

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=30560

In the Navy All Hands magazine for July 2007, they had a picture in the section called "Eye On The Fleet" about Navy metal detecting. The caption read:

"ND1 Larry Polendey, of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, searches for additional wreckage using an underwater metal detector near a World War II site off the coast of Koror, Palau."

If you want to see it for yourself, goto http://www.navy.mil/media/allhands/acrobat/ah200707.pdf and scroll down till you see a picture of a guy with a metal detector underwater.

 

[SaginawIan]

Cillosis, that's a great article and interesting information, thanks for sharing. That is quite a statement to re-enlist on board a sunken ship. We all appreciate the things that you and your fellow soldiers do to keep the rest of us safe! Thank you!

Ian

 

[outdoorsup]

Ok, I have used the Military Minelab detector and it's a nice one for its mission. I use one to find mines and UXO's Unexploded Ordnance. Many modern mines contain very little metal, when I say very little I'm talking a piece of foil smaller than a pencil eraser. The military version is a great machine but it picks up everything. I used one a couple times in Iraq but never found anything with it.

 

[diggummup]

I found this thread interesting and thought i'd add a bit to it. Here is some new technology for finding landmines with little or no metal in them, it's called a timed neutron detector. Interesting-
http://www.pnl.gov/breakthroughs/issues/2000-issues/winter/mission_critical.stm

 

[SaginawIan]

That's cool! I want one.

Ian

 

[muleskinner]

Whites strikes again! Or maybe not.

 

[mgdigger]

The US military, made in China i bet.