Most mines are planted beneath the surface and are found with the help of a large plow or a mine detector, usually mounted to the front of a tank or truck. Once a mine is discovered, the work gets even more dangerous. On an individual level, the soldier would use a non-metallic probe to find and unearth the mine, Slaven said. Regardless of what type of mine is encountered, the danger is always the same. Many mines are also relatively inexpensive, which may contribute to their indiscriminate use.
Mines are very cheap and effective.
RTIA develops and tests robotically controlled mine detecting and removing devices. Adding to the problem of forgotten land mines are uncharted mines laid, for example, by people in areas of ethnic strife. People obtain these mines through a variety of ways, he said. They may dig up a military mine field, cannibalizing the mines for their own use, or they may get the devices from a friend or relative in a militia force. All the mines acquired informally usually go uncharted, compounding the land mine problem.