The first step in any successful demining operation is planning, and one of the key elements is to attempt to determine the magnitude of the mine problem and the locations of the mined areas.

Airborne and Spaceborne technologies aim to improve both existing minefield detection and also wide-area survey. They can provide a rapid, low risk and cost effective means for surveying a region and producing the large-scale and up-to-date maps which are needed for detailed planning. These maps also facilitate the process of marking suspected mined areas, and are useful for such requirements as planning access routes and detecting important features hidden from the view of an observer outside the suspect area.

Advances in sensor technology (hyperspectral, Thermal IR, Optoelectronic) and digital image processing (Airborne/Spaceborne image understanding, change detection, ...) promise to substantially speed up the process of minefield mapping and survey. At present there is general agreement that fully automated detection of mined or clear areas is neither fully feasible nor desirable and that keeping a "human in the loop" is valuable. Computer processing of airborne gathered data, with further input of formalised knowledge from Mine Scene Interpreters, can lead to the production of "Risk Maps" or "Danger Maps" as an aid to Area Reduction as well as clearance planning. Area Reduction, the elimination of areas formerly suspected but subsequently considered as not containing mines, is usually the fastest and most cost-effective method of Humanitarian Demining.