INSTRUCTIONAL PACKAGE
ON
IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
LESSON REFERENCES
• PAM 3-0602 EOD HANDBOOK
• HTTPS://WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/CHRISFEARNLEY/INDEPTH-IED-
AWARENESS-TRAINING
SCOPE OF THE LESSON
• DEFINE IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE (IED)
• RECOGNIZE IED COMPONENTS, COMPLETE IED AND INDICATION
• DETERMINE THE TYPICAL TYPE OF IED
• TYPE OF IED
• DO’S AND DON’T’S
OBJECTIVES
• TLO:
- CLASSIFY THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF TYPICAL IED AND COUNTER
MEASURES.
• ELO:
- DEFINE IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE (IED)
- RECOGNIZE IED COMPONENTS, COMPLETE IED AND INDICATION
- DETERMINE THE TYPICAL TYPE IF IED
- DO’S AND DON’T’S
REVIEW OF RELATED TOPICS
• WHAT IS AN IED?
• THE FIVE COMPONENTS OF AN IED
- CASING
- EXPLOSIVE
- POWER SOURCE
- DETONATOR / INITIATOR
- TRIGGER / FIRING SWITCH
• DIFFERENT TYPES OF IED
- COMMAND (RC OR CW)
- VOIED
- PBIED
- VBIED
- EFP
- CHEMICAL / BIOLOGICAL
• IED ENHANCEMENTS
• EXPERIMENTAL IEDS
- DRONE-BORNE
- RC-DRIVEN VBIEDS
IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE (IED)
- A DEVICE PLACED OR FABRICATED IN AN IMPROVISED MANNER
INCORPORATING DESTRUCTIVE, LETHAL, NOXIOUS,
PYROTECHNIC, OR INCENDIARY CHEMICALS AND DESIGNED TO
DESTROY, INCAPACITATE, HARASS, OR DISTRACT. IT MAY
INCORPORATE MILITARY STORES BUT IS NORMALLY DEVICES
FROM NONMILITARY COMPONENTS.
RECOGNIZE IED COMPONENTS, COMPLETE IED AND INDICATION
THE CASING
• VIRTUALLY ANYTHING CAN BE USED AS A CASING FOR AN IED!
• SERVES TWO PURPOSES:
- CONCEAL THE DEVICE FROM BEING DETECTED
- ENHANCE THE EXPLOSIVE POWER
THE EXPLOSIVE
• TWO TYPES: HIGH EXPLOSIVE AND LOW EXPLOSIVE COMES IN
ALL SHAPES, SIZES, GRANULARITY AND COLOR
- LOW EXPLOSIVE
o BLACK POWDER
▪ OBTAINED FROM SHOTGUN CARTRIDGES
o POTASSIUM PERCHLORATE
▪ OBTAINED FROM FIREWORKS & MATCH HEADS
- HIGH EXPLOSIVE
o TNT
▪ HARVESTED FROM CONVENTIONAL MUNITIONS
o AMMONIUM NITRATE-BASED
▪ OBTAINED THROUGH PROCESSING OF FERTILIZER
o TATP (TRIACETONE TRIPEROXIDE)
▪ FAVORED IN EUROPE, PRECURSORS FREELY
AVAILABLE
• TERRORIST PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS INSPIRE MAGAZINE
REGULARLY FEATURE SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE ‘HOW-TO’
GUIDES FOR MANUFACTURING HOMEMADE EXPLOSIVES
IED INDICATORS
• ITEMS ALONG THE ROAD WITH EXPOSED:
- WIRES
- DETONATION CORD
- ORDNANCE
• DEAD ANIMALS
• FRESHLY DUG HOLES
• NEW DIRT/GRAVEL PILES
• OBSTACLES IN ROADWAY (CHANNELING)
• PERSONNEL STANDING ON OVERPASS
• EMPTY STREET THAT IS NORMALLY BUSY
• CALLS FOR PRAYER AT NIGHT
• OBJECTS HANGING FROM TREES OR ELECTRICAL POLES
• FLARES LAUNCHED OR A SINGLE GUNSHOT FIRED, JUST AS YOUR
CONVOY ENTERS A VILLAGE OR MAKES A MAJOR TURN
• HOUSE OR VILLAGE LIGHTS GOING OFF OR BLINKING ON/OFF AS
YOUR CONVOY APPROACHES
• EMPTY STREET EXCEPT FOR A MAN TALKING ON A CELL PHONE IN
A DOORWAY (LOOKOUT)
• ABSENCE OF CHILDREN, WHERE CHILDREN NORMALLY PLAY
• KIDS KEPT HOME FROM SCHOOL ON A SCHOOL DAY
• CHILDREN AS SCOUTS
• CHILD CARRYING A BAG TOWARD A CHECKPOINT (PALESTINE)
• IED AIMING OR TIMING POINTS:
- PAINTED ROCKS
- MOUND OF DIRT OR ROCKS (MAY HAVE A CAN ON TOP)
- SMALL COLORED FLAG NEXT TO THE ROAD
TYPICAL TYPES OF IED
- IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE, CONSISTING OF A CHARGE,
INITIATOR, SWITCH, POWER SOURCE AND CONTAINER, DESIGNED
TO DETONATE ON AN INTENDED TARGET.
TYPE OF IED
TYPE OF IED GROUP
ELECTRONIC
MECHANICAL TIME
CHEMICAL
COMMAND WIRE
COMMAND PULL COMMAND
RADIO CONTROLLED
PRESSURE PLATE
TRIPWIRE
INFRARED PASSIVE
INFRARED ACTIVE VICTIM OPERATED
ANTI LIFT
PRESSURE SWITCH
LIGHT SENSITIVE
RECOILLESS
ROCKET
PROJECTED
IMPROVISED HAND GRENADE
MORTARS
VEHICLE BORNE IED
PERSON BORNE IED SUICIDE
IMPROVISED HAND GRENADE
MORTARS
• TIMED DEVICE
• COMMAND: CW (COMMAND WIRE) OR RC (RADIO-CONTROL)
- THE IED RECEIVES A ‘COMMAND’ THAT CAUSES IT TO INITIATE
- TWO TYPES:
o COMMAND WIRE (CW)
o RADIO-CONTROLLED (RC)
- IS FREQUENTLY USE MOBILE PHONES OR RADIOS
- COMMAND WIRES LESS POPULAR, DIFFICULT TO CONCEAL,
LIMITED RANGE
• VOIED: (VICTIM-OPERATED)
- THE IED IS INITIATED AS A RESULT OF SOME SORT OF ACTION
OR MOTION OF THE VICTIM
- PRESSURE PLATE
- PRESSURE RELEASE
- MOTION SENSOR (PIR)
- TILT SWITCH
• PBIED: (PERSON-BORNE)
- ALSO KNOWN AS A “SUICIDE VEST”
- WORN AROUND THE WAIST/CHEST
- TWO TYPES:
o DEFENSIVE
▪ ANTI-CAPTURE DEVICE
▪ BATACLAN THEATRE
o OFFENSIVE
▪ INFLICT MASS CASUALTIES
▪ CONTAINS FRAGMENTATION MATRIX
▪ STADE DE FRANCE
- IS UTILISE FEMALE AND CHILD OPERATIVES TO INFILTRATE
SECURE LOCATIONS
- IS HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH INTERNAL PBIEDS
• VBIED: (VEHICLE-BORNE)
- HUGE DESTRUCTIVE POWER
- MAIN CHARGES UP TO 50 TONS SEEN
- SUICIDE & NON-SUICIDE
- PERIMETER BREACH
- MASS CASUALTY
• EFP: EXPLOSIVELY FORMED PROJECTILE
- DESIGN ORIGINATED FROM THE IRANIANS
- USED TO GREAT EFFECT DURING THE FIRST GULF WAR
o DESTROYED A US M1 ABRAMS MBT
- IDENTIFIABLE BY THE CONCAVE ‘LINER’, USUALLY MADE OF
COPPER OR STEEL
• CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL IED
- CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS HAVE ADDED ‘FEAR
FACTOR’
- IS HAVE BEEN EXPERIMENTING FOR YEARS
- MAIN DIFFICULTY EXISTS IN GETTING EXPLOSIVE POWER
CORRECT
o TOO LOW, THE AGENT WILL NOT BE DISPERSED
o TOO HIGH AND THE AGENT WILL BE VAPORIZED/DESTROYED
IED ENHANCEMENTS
• ADDITIVES OR DAMAGE MULTIPLIERS ADDED TO ENHANCE THE
LETHALITY OR DESTRUCTIVE CAPABILITY OF AN IED
• MOST COMMON IS FRAGMENTATION
- BALL-BEARINGS
- NUTS AND BOLTS
- STEEL REBAR
- BULLETS
• ACCELERANT TO INCREASE INCENDIARY EFFECT
- GASOLINE
- KEROSENE
• PRESSURIZED CONTAINERS
- GAS CYLINDERS
• REFRIGERANT 134A
- MIXTURES WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF AIR AT ELEVATED
PRESSURE AND/OR TEMPERATURE CAN BE IGNITED. CONTACT
OF 1,1,1,2- TETRAFLUOROETHANE WITH FLAMES OR HOT
SURFACES IN EXCESS OF 250 °C (482 °F) MAY CAUSE VAPOR
DECOMPOSITION AND THE EMISSION OF TOXIC GASES
INCLUDING HYDROGEN FLUORIDE AND CARBONYL HALIDES.
THE POWER SOURCE
• ALL IEDS REQUIRE A POWER SOURCE, EXCEPT FOR INCENDIARY
DEVICES.
• COMMON ITEMS INCLUDE 9V BATTERIES, CAR BATTERIES,
MOTORCYCLE BATTERIES, AA BATTERIES.
• POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLES. EVEN STORED MECHANICAL ENERGY
CAN BE USED, SUCH AS A COILED SPRING.
• THE DETONATOR / INITIATOR
- EXPLOSIVES REQUIRE SOME SORT OF METHOD OR
COMPONENT TO INITIATE AN EXPLOSIVE
- DETONATORS
o CAN BE MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL
o HARD TO ACQUIRE IN UK, AN IMPROVISED DETONATOR IS
MORE LIKELY TO BE SEEN
o CONTAIN A LOW EXPLOSIVE
- INITIATORS
o DIFFERENT FROM DETONATORS
o USED TO ‘INITIATE’ LOW EXPLOSIVES, SUCH AS BLACK
POWDER
o OFTEN IMPROVISED, EASY TO MAKE
• THE TRIGGER / FIRING SWITCH
- EVERY IED REQUIRES SOME SORT OF ACTION OR INPUT TO
CAUSE THE DEVICE TO FUNCTION
o A BUTTON
o A SWITCH
o A TIMER
- IRA OFTEN USED A MERCURY TILT SWITCH
- MOBILE PHONES AND UHF/VHF RADIOS FAVORED BY IS
DOS’S AND DON’T’S OF IED
• DON’TS
- DON’T PANIC
- DON’T TOUCH THE SUSPECTED ITEM
- DON’T FOCUS ON THAT JUST ONE DEVICE, POSSIBILITY OF A
SECONDARY ITEM IS POSSIBLE
• DO’S
- NOTIFY PROPER AUTHORITIES
- GET ALL NON-ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL OUT
- STAY AWAY FROM THE LINE OF SIGHT OF THE SUSPECTED ITEM
- SEEK COVER
