Special Report - C-IED

UK MoD Actions to Counter the Threat Posed by IEDs

"Tackling the IED threat is vital for us to make military progress. C-IED is not just about the bomb disposal expert defusing a bomb, vital and dangerous though that role is. It is about making sure that our soldiers have a range of tools, tactics and techniques available to them."
Peter Luff, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, UK MOD

A Specialized IED Clearing Truck, designed to scan the ground for buried bombs/explosives.
A Specialized IED Clearing Truck, designed to scan the ground for buried bombs/explosives.


A mini UAV being deployed on ‘over the hill’ counter IED ops.
A mini UAV being deployed on ‘over the hill’ counter IED ops.

A mini UAV being deployed on ‘over the hill’ counter IED ops.
A mini UAV being deployed on ‘over the hill’ counter IED ops.

The UK MoD has invested in a variety of technological measures to tackle the threat posed by IEDs and continues to do so.

One of the most effective solutions currently being utilised in Afghanistan is the Talisman system, which was developed by the Military Manoeuvre Support Team, headed up by Group Captain Paul Ridge.

Talisman employs five pieces of equipment to clear and build safe routes. The key components of the system include a UAV, a JCB digger, a bomb disposal robot and two huge armoured vehicles. The UAV component is a Honeywell T-Hawk, which collects video footage. This footage is fed back to the crew operating the first of the two armoured vehicles – the Mastiff. The second armoured vehicle, which is known as Buffalo, is used to detect signs of an IED, by combing the ground using a remote controlled pronged arm. The Talon remote controlled robot is used to deal with any IEDs that are detected and the JCB digger is used to fill any potholes or ditches that could prevent the advancement of the Talisman unit.

The effectiveness of the Mastiff armoured vehicle has already been proven. The vehicle has been hit by roadside bombs, on more than one occasion, without injury occurring to any of the occupants.

In June this year, the MoD committed to spending a further £67m on additional IED counter-measures. The additional funds will be used to purchase 13 new Mastiff armoured vehicles and Dragon Runner robots and double the number of counter-IED teams operating in Afghanistan to 20.

 

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