Landmines are a major threat worldwide with tens of millions of them littered across dozens of countries, including Afghanistan and parts of Southeast Asia. Clearing mine fields is often a painstaking task as mine hunters search metre by metre to clear the ordnance.

A leading scientist involved with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) project said the system was unlikely to be used in the field until 2007 at the earliest.

"We need to demonstrate the capabilities of this technology so industry can then take it and incorporate it into a proper military system," Alan Rye, head of DSTO's countermine technology unit, told Reuters.

The trial of the detection system, developed in a two-year programme by DSTO, involves installing sensor equipment on the front of a truck to locate mines with an accuracy of under half a metre (1.5 feet).

The system is capable of safely searching a three metre (10 ft) wide lane for mines at speeds of up to five km (three miles) per hour and can detect metallic and non-metallic mines.

The present manual method used by deminers only allows armies to disable mines at a rate of about 50 square metres an hour.