[Photo] Development begins on a robot to detect and remove land mines at DMZ

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on Dec. 8 that it would begin full-scale research and development on a robot capable of detecting and removing land mines. The robot will be able to replace the detection and elimination missions of land mines at the DMZ which present a dangerous risk to members of the military. The robots can also be used to detect explosives in civilian areas during counter-terrorism operations. DAPA signed a 7.6 billion won (US$6.96 million) contract last month with Hanhwa Land Systems, with the expectation that strategic deployment will begin after the research and development phase is completed in 2019.