Counter-IED Report Spring-Summer 2022 - preview edition

ISSN 2050-6732 (Print) ISSN 2050-6740 (Online)

Counter-IED Report Spring/Summer 2022

THE IED CLEARANCE GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE: CHAPTER 5 – “BASIC CHEMISTRY OF EXPLOSIVES AND HAZARDS OF HOME-MADE EXPLOSIVES AND CHEMICAL PRECURSORS”

IMPROVED SITUATIONAL AND SPATIAL AWARENESS FOR AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS IN HARBOUR PROTECTION BY MEANS OF VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY “UKRANISTAN”: IS THERE ANY FAVOURABLE FRAMEWORK TO IED-WARFARE IN UKRAINE? DEMONSTRATIONS AND TRIALS 2021 – EOD COI POST-PANDEMIC AWAKENING ARMED DRONES IN MYANMAR DUXO: YOUTH-LED PROJECT FOR MINE ACTION ADVOCACY AND DRONE-BASED LANDMINE DETECTION ALARMING IED PROLIFERATION IN EASTERN DR CONGO KASHMIR - TERRORISM SNUFFED JOURNAL OF AN EOD IEDD TECH IN THE “REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO”

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ISSN 2050-6732 (Print) ISSN 2050-6740 (Online)

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS

IFC

TELEDYNE FLIR

5

ICOR TECHNOLOGY

7

GARRETT METAL DETECTORS

9

AUNAV

10

FOREWORD

By Rob Hyde-Bales, Consulting Editor, Counter-IED Report

11

TELEDYNE ICM

13

EUROSATORY 2022

14

3DX-RAY LTD

15

THE IED CLEARANCE GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE: CHAPTER 5 – “BASIC CHEMISTRY OF EXPLOSIVES AND HAZARDS OF HOME-MADE EXPLOSIVES AND CHEMICAL PRECURSORS”

By Lieutenant Colonel Robert Friedel, GICHD

22

5th C-IED TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP

4

COUNTER-IED REPORT, Spring/Summer 2022

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

23

IMPROVED SITUATIONAL AND SPATIAL AWARENESS FOR AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS IN HARBOUR PROTECTION BY MEANS OF VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY

By Pilar Caamaño, Arnau Carrera Viñas, David Solarna, Lucia Gazzaneo, Francoise Perret, Claudio Palestini, Alberto Tremori

31

“UKRANISTAN”: IS THERE ANY FAVOURABLE FRAMEWORK TO IED-WARFARE IN UKRAINE?

By Lieutenant Colonel Jose M Rufas, Chief of Attack the Networks Branch, C-IED Centre of Excellence

40

14th CBRNe PROTECTION SYMPOSIUM

41

DEMONSTRATIONS AND TRIALS 2021 – EOD COI POST-PANDEMIC AWAKENING

By Lieutenant Colonel Damian Piórko, head of the EOD Technologies Department, EOD COE

45

ARMED DRONES IN MYANMAR

By Chief Superintendent (ret.) Michael Cardash

55

DEFENSE & SECURITY 2022

56

FUTURE FORCES FORUM 2022

6

COUNTER-IED REPORT, Spring/Summer 2022

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

57

DUXO: YOUTH-LED PROJECT FOR MINE ACTION ADVOCACY AND DRONE-BASED LANDMINE DETECTION

By Mak Nurkić Kačapor, Junior at British International School, Washington DC and Justin Yang, Junior at Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda, Maryland, both co-creators of DUXO Project

63

ALARMING IED PROLIFERATION IN EASTERN DR CONGO

By Trevor Bachus, EOD Officer at US Army

69

KASHMIR - TERRORISM SNUFFED

By Colonel HR Naidu Gade – Indian Army Veteran

75

UKRAINE – “AFTER THEM THERE IS A COMPLETE DISASTER”

By Tony Kingham, journalist and PR consultant

77

BEHAVIOURAL ANALYSIS 2022

78

JOURNAL OF AN EOD IEDD TECH IN THE “REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO”

By Joe Kool, EOD/IEDD Operator

83

COUNTER TERROR EXPO 2022

OBC SCANNA MSC LTD 8

COUNTER-IED REPORT, Spring/Summer 2022

FOREWORD

FOREWORD

By Rob Hyde-Bales, Consulting Editor, Counter-IED Report

E

arly 2022 saw war return to Europe. On 24th February President Putin of Russia sent troops to Ukraine following an escalation of eight-year armed conflict between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Eastern Ukraine1. More than 14,000 people were killed in the region between 2014 and early 20222, and now, after more than two months of fierce fighting it is estimated that both sides have sustained heavy losses, millions of Ukrainians have been displaced by the ongoing hostilities, and aerial bombs, shells and cluster munitions are littering what once used to be thriving local communities.

It is hard to predict when we see the end of this war. US, UK and EU countries have shown a united front in support for the Ukrainian government, and a combination of a powerful armed resistance by both the Ukrainian military and civilians alike, weapons supplies, and training provided by the western nations, are certainly giving a boost to the Ukrainian forces’ morale and their ability to repel the Russian offensive.

Every armed conflict leaves behind many unexploded weapons and explosive ordnance (EO), and there is no doubt Ukraine is facing a long and 1 2 3 4

painstaking clearance process for many years ahead, especially when it comes to landmines and cluster munitions in the affected territories3. The other problem that may arise in the occupied territories is a violent and high-tech laden insurgency4 which would most likely include the use of improvised weapons, weaponised drones and IEDs, adding to the explosive remnants of war (ERW) problem, the scenario that we now see in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and other countries around the world.

In his article Lieutenant Colonel Damian Piórko of the Polish Armed Forces and head of the EOD Technologies Department, EOD Centre of Excellence in Trencin, Slovakia describes the biennial NATO EOD Demonstrations and Trials (D&T 21) that took place in Bratislava, Slovakia 13 and 14 October 2021. The organisers took a calculated risk in running the event at this time, given the prevailing Covid situation then, but the risk paid off and D&T21 was highly successful, attracting more than 270 exhibitors and visitors from 32 countries. The aim of the event was to highlight latest achievements in the field of EOD technology and several key themes were examined by means of live demonstrations, static exhibitions, seminars and

https://www.crisisgroup.org/content/conflict-ukraines-donbas-visual-explainer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War https://publicintegrity.org/national-security/future-of-warfare/bombs-dropped-on-ukraine-today-pose-danger-to-futuregenerations/ https://warontherocks.com/2022/04/of-roadside-bombs-and-drones-putins-looming-insurgency-problem/

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FOREWORD

conferences. The critical importance of gathering and processing vital EOD information was a recurring theme throughout the event. The value of so-called “living sensors” as demonstrated by Military Working Dogs during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan which proved to be so successful was highlighted. An interesting emerging field of research in this respect are trials being undertaken to assess the value of honey bees to detect EO. Finally, the value of virtual EOD training was demonstrated using both Virtual and Augmented reality training.

Despite existing and emerging technology in the EOD arena, it was stressed that the human being remains the critical element in the EOD decision making process.

In his article Chief Superintendent (ret.) Michael Cardash describes the proliferation in Myanmar, formerly Burma, in the use of commercial drones by militants modified to release an explosive payload. To date, five armed groups in four different areas of Myanmar are known to possess armed drones that drop bomblets. Currently the extent and effect of damage caused by the

PULSED*

CONSTANT POTENTIAL*

*Images taken using magnification x1.5

bomblets remain limited, but it is anticipated that this capability in armed groups will expand and develop rapidly in the near future.

The introduction of armed drones is a continuation of a trend in the development and use of weapons and attack TTPs by opponents of the regime in Myanmar since the military coup in February 2021. Globally the use of armed drones in conflict areas around the world has increased since their development and publication by the so-called Islamic State in 2013. In January 2022 an armed militia group operating in the northern Kachin state posted a video which includes

militants modifying a commercial drone to air-drop a single munition based on a rifle grenade. The armed drone is the type of weapon that matches the capabilities and tactics of armed groups opposed to the military regime in Myanmar. To date a variety of imagery has been released showing, inter alia, a bomblet being released by a drone, a downed drone, various types of improvised bomblets and finally militants preparing bomblets and a drone carrying four rifle grenades.

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FOREWORD

In his paper Trevor Bachus, an EOD officer in the US Army highlights the alarming proliferation in the use of IEDs in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This trend can be traced back exclusively to one group – the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist Group who recently declared allegiance to the so-called Islamic State. IED usage in ADF attacks began in the Congo in late 2013. The author illustrates the increase in IED usage in Beni Province in North Kivu where there were 16 confirmed IED incidents in 2013, whilst in 2021 this number increased to 64. The increased usage was accompanied by improved effectiveness of these weapons. Whilst in the past the ADF have used IEDs mainly against military targets, attacks against civilians are now increasing in number.

Over time the ADF have modified IED design from command wire detonation to more indiscriminate victim operated weapons. Recent IEDs have used military grade explosives. Improvements in ADF IED construction can be traced to connections with broader Islamist movements. Much international support is the result of black-market trading and porous borders, in particular from loosely regulated mining companies in Tanzania to acquire commercial explosives. It is assessed that improved IED construction together with increased usage against military and civilian targets and international support

region. The authors have also developed a technical solution to the landmine detection process. A patentpending drone technology solution incorporates three mine detection methods into one cohesive system – Ground Penetrating Radar, Metal Detection and Infrared Imaging. A drone equipped with these three detection systems greatly enhances landmine detection capability. The combination of easily accessible accurate and timely landmine information combined with state-of-the-art drone mounted landmine detection technology is a most welcome initiative in the continuing effort to decontaminate landmine afflicted regions across the globe. ■

will combine to create an ever-growing IED threat in Eastern DR Congo.

Mak Kačapor, and Justin Yang are co-creators of the US-based DUXO Project which aims to educate the public on the affliction caused by landmines to a large portion of human society, and to design an effective, accurate and robust drone solution to landmine detection in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness to ensure safety in the demining industry. Whilst more than 60 countries continue to face the challenges of landmine contamination much of the general public in these countries remains uninformed about mine-action. To bring information on the use and danger of landmines back to public attention DUXO has designed interactive and publicly accessible datasets to provide access to accurate and timely survey information for each landmine afflicted

in Libya and, more latterly, Afghanistan in the running of the first United Nations humanitarian landmine clearance training programme – Operation Salam. The programme trained Afghan male refugees in landmine clearance techniques, and Afghan women and children in mine awareness and avoidance training. More recently he set up the Caribbean Search Centre in Kingston, Jamaica. The Centre is designed to train security forces across the Caribbean in modern search techniques. After retiring from the army he joined Cranfield University at Shrivenham, near Oxford, and undertook a research project on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence that examined ways to improve the sharing of IED threat information between the military and civilian organisations in hazardous areas.

12 COUNTER-IED REPORT, Spring/Summer 2022

Rob Hyde-Bales biography During his career in the UK Royal Engineers, Rob Hyde-Bales was responsible for landmine clearance

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