Invitation to the CEN Workshop on the Test & Evaluation of Demining Machines (CW 12)

This is an open invitation to everyone who has an interest in the Test and Evaluation (T&E) of Demining Machines, to participate in the workshop with the aim of establishing a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) on the T&E of Demining Machines. To achieve a practical and valuable test protocol, we require the participation of the field operators, manufacturers and those with industrial experience in T&E. Additional detailed information regarding this work shop is available on the web sites of this work shop www.sis.se/english and on the website of the Swedish EOD & Demining Centre www.swedec.mil.se.

Background

There is a great deal of Test & Evaluation work performed in the demining community today, but in many instances, it does not always reflect the practical results required by field operators and equipment manufacturers. In order to improve the situation and produce consistent results, it is necessary to develop uniform T&E Standards to ensure that the conduct of testing is performed under specific repeatable environmental conditions and with strict technical monitoring and supervision.

The European Commission (EC) Communication for the proposed European Parliament and Council Regulation concerning action against anti-personnel landmines call for the establishment of such international Specifications and Methodology for the T&E of equipment and of their subsequent implementation. This work is to be undertaken in close co-operation with the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the United Nations.

The EC has granted a mandate to the European Standardisation Bodies to proceed with this standardisation. Such standardisation would include minefield survey, close-in detection and identification of anti-personnel land mines (APL), information fusion and information management, quality assurance in the whole process of mine clearance, and for T&E of any tool in support of humanitarian demining operations.

The SWEDEC will act as the principal "driving force" for this CEN Workshop with technical standardisation support being provided by the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS).

Aim, Objectives and Scope of the CEN Workshop

The principal aim of this CEN Workshop is to define specifications for the test methodology.

The key objectives are defined as the development of:

• specifications for performance-testing and survivability-testing in repeatable conditions;
  
• performance specifications for target mines; ands
  
• specifications for "acceptance tests" including field performance, logistics, operator safety, and the operational classification of machines.
  
  

These objectives are defined to ensure the specified performance of mechanical equipment, the performance and safety of this equipment in operational activities, the appropriate level of reliability, and the appropriateness of the equipment to operational requirements.

Time Schedule & Outcome of first two Meetings

The kick-off meeting as the initiation of the CEN Workshop process, was held on the 3rd of June 2003, during which the Business Plan was presented and subsequently endorsed. The business plan is published on the website www.sis.se/english.

The first two technical meetings for CWA12 were held concurrently at SWEDEC in Eksjo, Sweden, from the 15th to the 18th of September. During these two meetings the first steps towards a CWA for Performance Testing, Survival Testing and also the definition of test targets required for these tests were laid down. Representatives of the user community, manufacturers of demining machines, donors and the testing agencies attended these meetings.
The Swedish Institute is holding the secretariat of the Workshop on Standards (SIS).

The third CEN Workshop meeting will be organised in cooperation with the Croation Mine Action Centre (CROMAC) in Zagreb, Croatia, on the 14th to 16th of October 2003 and has as main aim the consolidation of what has been proposed so far , together with the development of the technical basis for specifications for acceptance tests.
The aim is to have a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) before the end of this year.

The Chairman will seek consensus in each meeting. Following each of the three CEN Workshop meetings, the minutes will be distributed to the participants for their comments. The minutes with participants' comments, will form the basis for the draft CWA to be prepared by the Chairman's Advisory Group.

A fourth CEN Workshop meeting will be arranged, if required, to discuss and adopt the final CWA. The aim is to have a draft CWA for adoption in December 2003. Once the CWA is adopted it will be circulated to CEN national members and others, to be made available at the national level.

Registration

It is our sincere hope that you will find this work both important and interesting, and that you will be able to contribute to this CEN Workshop.

There are two ways to register your interest in participating in this workshop:

1. Registration via the website of the Workshop www.sis.se/english.

2. Registration by E-mail to Mrs. and stating your name, organisation, postal address, E-mail address, telephone number and which meetings you wish to attend (if not all).

You will then be provided with the necessary information to plan your travel and accommodation.

This CEN Workshop has the provision to provide limited financial assistance to certain participants in the form of subsidised travel and accommodation costs. Those organisations or individuals wishing to apply for such assistance are requested to provide a direct application to the Chairman , and it should be noted that such provision of any such assistance is entirely at the discretion of the Driving Force of the workshop.

Sincerely,

Claes Wolgast
Lt-Col.
Acting Commanding Officer
SWEDEC
Chairman of the Workshop