The Magadu test facility is located near Morogoro town, Tanzania. The field has been established in the immediate vicinity of the university campus and a military plant.
The testing facility consists of:
- 322 testboxes (100sqm) of 5m x 20m, containing 0 to 4 mines each, and containing 0-4 dummy objects.
- 156 testboxes (100sqm) of 10m x 10m, containing 0 to 4 mines each.
( 32 testboxes of 15sqm each containing plastic bags with military grade TNT, and containing 2 dummy plastic bags at different depths).
- 5 stretches of 3m x 60m, containing 19 mines of different types, surface laid.
- 4 stretches of 3m x 60m, containing no mines, but used for applying TNT sprays for rat training purposes.
- 11 stretches of 5m x 24m, containing 7 mines of different types each.
- REST facility, low density mined area, existing of 27 boxes (40m x 40m), divided in 5m grid (64 x 5m x 5m boxes). 20 out of the 27 boxes will contain 1 landmine, placed in one of the central 5m by 5m boxes.
The positions of the landmine samples and of the plastic sachets containing the explosives were carefully mapped. The detonation mechanisms of all the laid landmines were removed, and their positions were exactly indicated through coloured poles at the perpendicular sides of each testplot. The types of mines and their co-ordinates were registered, together with the depth of placement. Poles can easily be removed to allow blind testing of sensor technologies.
Types of mines and UXO available:
- PMN Russian AP
- Type 58 Chinese PMN copy AP
- R2M2 South African AP (planned but not avialable yet)
- PMD-6 Wooden box Russian AP
- Mine Nr 4 Israeli plastic AP
- M14 American AP
- T59 Direct Action Chinese AT
- T59 Booby Trap Chinese AT
- TM57 Direct action Russian AT
- TM57 Booby Trap Russian AT
- MK5 British AT
- PMR 1 Yugoslav stake mine FR
- T59 Chinese stake mine FR
- M16 American bounding FR
- 60mm Chinese Mortar UXO
Dummy targets:
A variety of 20 dummy targets is burried in part of the testboxes. Dummies are mapped and indicated in the field in a similar way as the landmines. Dummy objects:
- plastic bags,
- tin cans,
- washing powder,
- aluminium foil,
- old clothes,
- cigarette butts,
- bottle caps,
- spices,
- carrion,
- coffee,
- diesel,
- used oil filters,
- rubber,
- burnt waste,
- kitchen waste,
- batteries,
- galvanised metal sheet,
- glass,
- plastic containers,
- treated wooden pole chops.
Security:
The location of the minefield was chosen at a safe distance from common public used roads - in the vicinity of a military plant. The simulated minefield facility is completely fenced with intertwine fencing wire of 1.8 m high. Outside the fenced area, a firelane of 10 meters wide was created around the whole minefield. There are two central watchtowers - with 24 hours permanence by armed security guards.
Supporting equipment:
The Magadu test facility is equipped with a weather station which registers permanently most weather parameters. The station features a solar radiation meter and a soil moisture content probe.
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