Chinese company to provide drones for Cambodian landmine clearance operations
The Chinese high-tech company Hopong International Limited, in partnership with other institutions, has provided uncrewed aerial vehicles and offered specialised training to Cambodian deminers, it was reported by Xinhua news agency on Monday 24 August.
According to Xinhua, Heng Ratana, director general of the Cambodian Mine Action Center, said the handover ceremony and training session took place at their headquarters in Phnom Penh. He emphasised that the smart drone technology is vital for boosting the country's explosive remnants of war clearance operations.
"Deploying this smart drone technology can truly help accelerate research, mapping, locating, and clearing areas affected by ERWs, making operations safer and more effective," Ratana said.
Cambodia remains one of the world's most landmine-impacted nations, with approximately four to six million mines and unexploded munitions being left behind from three decades of armed conflict, which ended in 1998.
Official data indicates that between 1979 and June 2026, landmine and explosive remnant of war explosions killed over 19,000 people and injured or amputated more than 45,000 others.
The Cambodian government is aiming to clear all landmines and explosive remnants of war in the country by 2030.
