Preliminary results of UAV magnetic surveys for unexploded ordnance de-tection in Ukraine: effectiveness and challenges

Abstract

Over the past decade, the development of unmanned aerial technologies has allowed them to be considered a tool for conducting remote Earth sensing research. The use of such systems is primarily associated with solving geological and archaeological tasks. However, the armed aggression by the Russian Federation contaminated Ukrainian territory at an unprecedented scale, including unexploded ordnance (UXO). It is necessary to check unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used to address this issue. An efficient solution can significantly expedite the process of surveying areas for the presence of UXO, minimizing risks to lives and health.
 The research was conducted at test sites using full-scale models as targets, as well as disarmed mines and other ordnance. Additionally, a magnetic survey was carried out in areas directly affected by combat operations. Overall, within the scope of this work, approximately 30 hectares of territory were surveyed under various shooting modes and conditions. As expected, a high detection rate is characteristic of target objects with a high ferrous metal content. Unfortunately, the widespread use of plastic ordnance with low iron content and the high density of craters blasts create non-target magnetic anomalies, affecting the overall detection. However, with proper planning and shooting modes, the task of detection is partially addressed. Our preliminary results allow us to draw initial conclusions about the effectiveness of the complex and identify issues that require resolution.