NPA’s Global Training Centre for Mine and Explosive Detection Dogs
NPA deploys Mine Detection Dogs (MDD) in mine action operations in various countries, including Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Iraq, Ukraine, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Collaborating with both local and international partners, NPA actively transfers its knowledge and skills, fostering cooperation and enhancing demining efficiency on a global scale.
The MDDs' unique ability to detect concealed threats plays a vital role in creating secure environments, allowing for the productive use of land and resources in regions affected by remnants of war. The dedication and capabilities of these dogs illustrate a critical aspect of NPA's commitment to humanitarian efforts worldwide.
The training process for Mine Detection Dogs (MDD) begins when they are still puppies. The training program lasts for 18 months, concluding with the specialization of dogs for mine detection.
NPA operates its own Mine Detection Dog breeding and training center in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina.
Since its establishment, NPAs Global Training Center (GTC) has been instrumental in supporting NPA programs and partner organizations across 25 countries. GTC breeds and trains Belgian Shepherd Malinois dogs. The remarkable intelligence, loyalty, versatility, and motivation inherent in Belgian Shepherds make them exceptional candidates for mine detection work, significantly contributing to the success and quality of demining operations.
A Mine detection Dog Can
- detect particles of an explosive substance down to nanograms, a unit one billion times smaller than a gram.
- find explosive ordnance buried more than a meter below ground level in some instances.
- find mines that have been buried for over 50 years.
- search an area 20 times faster than a manual deminer using a metal detector.
- cover up more than 1600 square meters of land in a single working day.
For more information, please visit The GTC on Facebook Instagram
Contributors
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Coop Norway
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