ISSN2050-6732(Print)
ISSN2050-6740(Online)
ACONCEPTUALFRAMEWORKFORC-IEDENTERPRISEDESIGN PHASESWITHINAC-IEDENTERPRISE
DEEPLEARNING-BASEDMODERNAPPROACHESFORTHE DETECTION,CLASSIFICATIONANDNEUTRALIZATIONOFIEDs
ENHANCINGEODOPERATIONSWITHSHERLOCKSECURITY: ADVANCEDIMAGEANALYSISANDTHREATDETECTION
THELOUDESTMESSAGE:DETONATIONOFCOMMUNICATION DEVICESINLEBANON
HOUTHIUSVWBIEDATTACKSTARGETINGMERCHANTSHIPS INTHEREDSEA,YEMEN
“SAMBAJIHAD”:SOCIALMEDIA,EXPLOSIVESANDDAESH FOLLOWERSINSOUTHAMERICA
EDITORIALANDTECHNOLOGYPARTNERS
Counter-IEDReport PublishedbyDeltaBusinessMediaLimited 167-169GreatPortlandStreet,5th Floor London,W1W5PF UnitedKingdom
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ISSN2050-6732(Print) ISSN2050-6740(Online)
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IFCSMARTRAYVISION
5ICORTECHNOLOGY/MED-ENG
7GARRETTMETALDETECTORS
9AUNAV
10NOVODIGITALRADIOGRAPHY
11FOREWORD
ByRobHyde-Bales,ConsultingEditor,Counter-IEDReport 13TELEDYNEICM 16SAFEPROGROUPINC.
163DX-RAYLTD
17ACONCEPTUALFRAMEWORKFORC-IEDENTERPRISE DESIGN
ByPaulAmoroso,anexplosivehazardsspecialistatAssessed MitigationOptions(AMO)consultancy
CONTENTS
25CANADIANTECHNOLOGYSYSTEMS-CTS
26EOD/IED&COUNTERMINESYMPOSIUM2024
27PHASESWITHINAC-IEDENTERPRISE
ByPaulAmoroso,anexplosivehazardsspecialistatAssessed MitigationOptions(AMO)consultancy
34MILIPOLINDIA2025
35DEEPLEARNING-BASEDMODERNAPPROACHESFORTHE DETECTION,CLASSIFICATIONANDNEUTRALIZATIONOF IMPROVISEDEXPLOSIVEDEVICES
ByMuratAydoğmuş,LieutenantCommander(OF-3)TUR-N, ElectronicWarfareSpecialist,C-IEDCentreofExcellence
41HOMELANDSECURITYEXPO2025
42SOF&IRREGULARWARFARESYMPOSIUM2024
43ENHANCINGEODOPERATIONSWITHSHERLOCKSECURITY: ADVANCEDIMAGEANALYSISANDTHREATDETECTION
ByMarcJansen,HeadofSales&Marketing,TeledyneICM
FOREWORD
ByRobHyde-Bales,ConsultingEditor,Counter-IEDReport
Aswemoveintothefnalquarterof2024two confictswithglobalramifcationscontinue unabated–thewarbetweenUkraineandRussiaand theoneintheMiddleEastbetweenIsraelandIranbackedHamasandHezbollah.Theconfictinthe MiddleEast,inparticular,hasrecentlyescalated signifcantly,andintheearlyhoursof1OctoberIsrael crossedtheborderintoSouthernLebanonto commencegroundoperationsagainstHezbollah militaryinfrastructureneartheborderarea.Improvised ExplosiveDevices–IEDscontinuetoplayapivotal roleintheseandotherconfictsaroundtheworld.
CONFLICTINTHEMIDDLEEAST
Israelcontinuestodemonstratehighlyeffective intelligenceproceduresenablingittolocateand neutraliseseniorterroriststhatposeexistential threatstoitsnationalsecurity.On31Julythisyear IsmailHaniyeh,thepoliticalleaderofIsrael’s implacableenemyHAMAS,wasassassinatedalong withhispersonalbodyguardinTehraninamilitary runguesthouseusedregularlybytheIranianIslamic RevolutionaryGuardCorps.HaniyehwasinTehran toattendtheinaugurationceremonyoftheIranian president.Itisassessedthattheassassination wascarriedoutbymeansofanIEDthathad beenpreviouslyemplaced,presumablybyalocal
1TheTimesofIsraeldated30July2024.
employee,intheroomwhereHaniyehwastostay. Furthermore,itseemsthatthedevicehadbeenin situforaconsiderablelengthoftimepriorto detonation.
InlateJulyHezbollahmilitarychiefFuadShukr waskilledbyatargetedIsraeliairstrikeinBeirut. Shukrwasassessedtobetheright-handmanof HezbollahleaderHassanNasrallah.1
On17Septemberlargenumbersofcommunications pagersusedbyHezbollahbegantodetonatewhilst beingusedinBeirutandotherlocationsinLebanon. Hezbollahhadpurchasedsome5000pagersfve monthsearlier.Althoughmanydetailsarestill unknown,sourcesclosetotheLebanonsecurity servicesindicatedthatthesepagershadsmallamounts ofexplosivesembeddedinthem.Onansweringa specifcmessagepurportingtoemanatefromthe Hezbollahleadership,thepagersexplodedinjuring and,insomecases,killingtheusers.Thefollowingday similarexplosionsoccurredinHezbollahownedtwowayradios.Intotalnearlyfortypeoplehavebeenkilled andsome3500injuredbythepagerandtwo-wayradio detonations.Thesedeviceswerepurchasedby Hezbollahastheywerebecomingconcernedbythe securityimplicationsofusingmobiletelephones.Itis assessedthattheseattacksweremastermindedby Israeltodegradeand disruptHezbollahcommand
andcommunicationssystems.2 Intermsofquantities, theseoperationswerethelargestsimultaneoususeof IEDstodate.LieutenantColonelJoseRufasofthe NATOCounter-IEDCentreofExcellencespecifcally coverstheseeventsinmoredetailinanarticlein thisEditionentitled“TheLoudestMessage–DetonationofCommunicationDevicesinLebanon”. TheinternationalsecurityandEODcommunitieswill becloselymonitoringdevelopmentsasthe investigationintotheseexplosionscontinues.The implicationsforglobalsecurityaresignifcantandwill requireimprovedscreeninganddetectiontechnologies inpersonaldevicesusedinhigh-riskenvironments.
On20SeptemberanIsraeliairstrikeonthe suburbsofBeirutkilledaseniorHezbollahmilitary offcial,IbrahimAqil,commanderofHezbollah’s RadwanGuardForce.Aqilhadlongbeensought afterbytheUSandIsraelasthemastermindofthe 1983bombingoftheUSEmbassyinBeirutandsix monthslaterthebombingsofUSandFrenchmilitary barracksinthecity.Thebombingsresultedinnearly 500fatalities–US,FrenchandLebanese-and manylife-changinginjuries.3
On27SeptemberthetopHezbollahoffcial, HassanNasrallahwaskilledinanIsraeliairstrikeon anundergroundcompoundbelongingtothemilitant groupintheDahiyehsuburbofBeirut.Itwasalso reportedthatmorethan20Hezbollahoperatives werekilledinthisstrike.Nasrallahwasregardedas oneofthemostinfuentialfguresintheMiddleEast whoassumedleadershipofHezbollahin1992and playedamajorroleinbuildingthegroup’sstrength, supportingPalestinianarmedgroupHamasinGaza andmaintainingclosetieswithIran.
UKRAINIANCONFLICT
InearlyAugustUkrainelaunchedasurprisecrossborderincursionintotheRussianKurskOblast breachingRussianborderfortifcationsandmine felds.Itisestimatedthatabout1000sqkmofthe Russianterritorywereseizedduringthisoperation.
2BBCNewsof20September2024.
3UKDailyTelegraphNewspaperof20September2024.
Bothsidescontinuetoemploylandminestodeny theopposingforcefreedomofmanoeuvreandthe useofinfantry.Ukraineisnowoneofthemost landminecontaminatednationsintheworld.11ofits 27regionsandmorethan30%ofitsterritoryare contaminatedbylandmines,IEDsandvarioustypes ofexplosiveremnantsofwar.InApril2024the Ukrainiangovernmentreportedthatmine-related explosionshavekilled296civiliansandinjured 665otherssince2022.Ukraineiscooperating withmorethan30internationalorganizationsand companiesandhas53mineactionoperatorswho havereceivedtherelevantcertificationdocuments. TheU.S.haspledged$700millioninhumanitarian aidtoUkraineofwhich$102millionwillgotowards fundinghumanitariandemining.TheU.K.hasalso announcedasimilar600-million-pound($781 million)humanitarianaidpackage.
OTHERWORLDNEWS
TheterroristactivityofIslamicStateKhorasan (IS-K),abranchoftheIslamicState,hasbeenonthe rise.Thegrouphasbeenlinkedtonumerousattacks in2024.Thehighestprofleplotsincludeadeadly attackonaconcerthallinMoscow,twinbombingsin IranandfoiledplanstodisruptthreeTaylorSwift concertsinAustria.OfalltheIslamicState’s affliates,theIS-Kstandsoutasitsmostdangerous andoperationallypotentregionalfranchise,rapidly expandingtransnationalreachandhasarobust presenceinthecyberdomain.
TerroristgroupsinAfricacontinuetouseIEDsto attackciviliansandsecuritypersonnel.Nigeria, Kenya,MaliandSomaliaareamongthemost affectedcountries.AccordingtotherecentUNreport atleast1,500civilianswerekilledorinjuredby600 improvisedexplosivedevices(IEDs)inSomaliaover thepastyear.
Pakistanhasseenanumberofterroristattacks targetingciviliansandsecurityservicesin BalochistanandKhyberPakhtunkhwaprovinces.
COUNTER-IEDREPORT,Autumn2024
Inarecentepisode,aconvoyofdiplomatsfrom 12countrieshasbeentargetedbyanexplosionin theSwatregion,causingthedeathofapoliceoffcer andinjuringfourothers.
Yemen’sHouthiarmedgroupiscontinuingtopose threatstothemaritimetraffcintheregionandhas recentlyfreda‘hypersonicmissile’targetingIsrael.
InJuly,ThomasMatthewCrooks,armedwithan AR-stylerife,openedfreatthe formerU.S.presidentDonald Trumpwhilehewasaddressinga crowdinButler,Pennsylvania.The shootingslightlywoundedTrump, leftoneaudiencememberdead andtwootherswounded.The suspecthadaremotedetonatoron him.Accordingtoafederal governmenttaskforcereporttwo improvisedexplosivedevices discoveredinThomasCrooks'car trunkwerealmostidenticalin construction.Eachcontaineda cardboardtubeflledwithagrey powderthatwasdescribedbya policebombtechnicianashaving “anodorofnitromethane”,the descriptionwhichmaysuggestthe presenceofafertilizer.Whetheror notthesuspectattemptedto detonatethedevicesisunclear,but thereportdescribedthemina mannerthatcastdoubtontheir viabilityasweapons.4
InSeptember,authoritiesinthe MexicanstateofSinaloahadto deployadditionaltroops,shut schoolsandcancelanationalday celebrationduetoout-of-control violencefuelledbyinfghtingwithin theSinaloacartel.Therearenow
4 https://www.nytimes.com/ 2024/07/17/us/politics/trumpgunman-crooks-bombs.html
signsthattheturfwarbetweenSinaloacartel factionsisspreadingtoothernorthernborderstates ofMexico,whereLosChapitos,ledbythesonsof Joaquin“ElChapo”Guzman,andsupportersofEl MayoFlaco,thesonofarrestedcapoIsmael“El Mayo”Zambada,havepreviouslysharedthe businessofsmugglingsyntheticdrugsintothe UnitedStates.
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INTHISEDITION
PaulAmorosoofAssessedMitigationOptions continueshisseriesofarticlesonnationaland regionalCounter-IEDefforts.Inpreviousarticlesin Counter-IEDReportSpring/Summer2024hehas advocatedtheestablishmentofC-IEDenterprisesto overseeeffortstocounterIEDthreats.Inthisarticle heoutlinestheconceptualframeworkforC-IED enterprisedesign.Forsuchanenterprisetobe successful,headvocatesastrategicapproach whichemployseffectiveandefficientoperational processesinsupportofoptimaltacticaland technicalcapabilitiesandcapacities.Astrategicplan isrequiredtodemonstratetheaimsandobjectives oftheenterprise.Thearticleoutlinesthekey processesforsettinguptheenterpriseandthese areaBaselineAssessmenttoinformtheStrategic Plan,DevelopmentoftheStrategicPlanandfinally theOperationalisationofthePlan.Hedescribesthe ends-ways-meansprocessinenterprisedesign whichinvolvesidentifyingandthenworkingtowards thedesiredendstate.Itmaybenecessarytophase theapproachtakentocounteringIEDsdepending ontheoperationalcontext.Hedescribesapossible spectrumoftheuseofIEDsbycriminals,terrorists, insurgentsthroughtoopenwarfare.Theresponse spectrummayrangefromCriminalJustice,CT, COIN,toaWarModelandcombatengineering.The authorconcludesthathisproposeddesignofa C-IEDenterprise,providesaplatformbywhichitis bestpositionedtoimplementitsstrategicplanina mannerthatitismostlikelytoeffectivelyand efficientlyrespondtoandultimatelyprevent IEDuse.
Inhissecondarticletheauthorexamineswhy thereisoftenaneedforaC-IEDenterprisetobe abletotransitionbetweenphasesasitworks towardsthefinalaimofpreventingIEDusage.Such anenterpriseisintendedtocounteranIEDsystem torespondtoandtoultimatelypreventIEDusage. Theauthoremphasizesthattheword“ultimately”is keyinthatitisoftenanaimthatmustbeworked towardsandrequiresdifferentphasestomatchan evolvingthreat.Theenterprisemustbecapableof
adaptingovertime.Whenanenterpriseadoptsa wholeofsocietyapproachwhichincorporatesa broadarrayofstakeholdersitmustbeabletoboth respondtoandpreventIEDusagedependingonthe operationalsituation.Suchanapproachrecognizes thatpreventativemeasurestypicallytakelongerto maturecomparedtopurelyresponsiveC-IED efforts.Suchachallengenecessitatestheneedfor anenterprisetotransitionbetweenphasesasit workstowardstheultimateaimofpreventingtheuse ofIEDs.Thepaceandscopeofsuchtransitionwill bedrivenbytheoperationalcontextwithinthewider securityenvironment.
InanotherarticleLtColRufasexaminesthe exploitationandproliferationofsocialmedia platformsinSouthAmericabyIslamistterrorist organisations–inparticularDAESHalsoknownas ISIS.Hequotesexamplesoflong-standing supporttoIslamistterrorisminSouthAmerica includingoneexamplewhentheIslamicJihad OrganisationcarriedoutaVBIEDattackonthe IsraeliEmbassyinBuenosAiresinMarch1992. Theattackkilled29peopleandinjured242, destroyingtheEmbassyandanearbychurch.In January2024aTELEGRAMsocialmediachannel wascreatedbytwoBrazilianself-proclaimed DAESHsupporters.Thechannelbecamea significantrepositoryforDAESHinspired propagandaincludinginstructionalmanualsand videosonIEDs,improvisedand3Dprinted weapons,chemicalagentsandnarcotics.The channelusedEnglish,Portuguese,Russianand Ukrainianlanguages.InAugust2024thechannel startedexplicitlysharinginformationonDAESH videoswithEnglishsubtitlesandmanualson homemadeexplosivesandIEDmanufacture.Asa resultofthisthechannelwasshutdown.Onthe 23rdanniversaryof9/11thisyearafurtherIslamist propagandachannelwascreatedbyanother Brazilianself-proclaimedDAESHsupporter.The authorconcludesthatthecontinuingwarinthe MiddleEastislikelytoincreasesupportforIslamist terrorisminSouthAmerica.
MarcJansen,isHeadofSalesandMarketingin TeledyneICM,whichhasmorethan25yearsof expertiseinthedevelopmentofinnovativeportable radiographysolutions.InhisarticleonEnhancing EODOperationswithSherlockSecurity,heoutlines theenhancedtechnicalcharacteristicsinthequality ofX-Rayimagingwhichnowenablethedetectionof previouslyunseenpotentialEODthreats.Toobviate theneedforanEODoperatortoreturntoapotential explosivedevice,TeledyneICMhavedeveloped filtersthatensureusableimagesevenwhenthe initialsnapshotsareofsuboptimalquality.In anotherdevelopmenthedescribesanimage stitchingtoolthatcombinesmultiplesnapshotsinto asinglecohesiveimage.Finally,heoutlinesthe introductionoftheC-ViewLiveVideoX-Ray imagingsystemthatenablestherapidassessment ofpackageswithinseconds–operationalwithin 90secondsthesystemisidealfortime-sensitive operations.
Inhisarticleentitled“DeepLearning-Based ModernApproachesfortheDetection,Classifcation andNeutralisationofIEDs”,LieutenantCommander MuratAydoğmuşoftheTurkishNavyprovidesa highlyinformativeoverviewoftraditional,together withstateoftheart,cuttingedgeapproachesto Counter-IED.HetracestheevolutionofCounter-IED technologiesandproceduressuchasvisual inspection,metaldetection,sniffersystems,canine andlaserdetection.Buildingonthisfoundationhe examinesmodernadvancesfocusingonDeep LearningmethodologiesthathavetransformedIED detectionandclassifcation.DeepLearningisa subsetofmachinelearningthatusesmulti-layered neuralnetworkstosimulatethebrain’sdecisionmakingpower.Theauthorexaminesthestrengths andlimitationsoftheseapproachesandoffers insightintohowthetechnologiescanbeintegrated intoacomprehensiveCounter-IEDframework.After examiningthetraditionalapproaches,heturnsto DeepLearningtechniquesusedfortheautonomous identifcationandclassifcationofIEDs.Amongthese heexaminesConvolutionalNeuralNetworks(CNNs) thathavebecomeincreasinglypopularfordetecting
IEDsduetotheirabilitytolearncomplexpatterns fromvisualdata.HealsodescribesotherDLobject detectionframeworks–YouOnlyLookOnce(YOLO) FasterR-CNNsandSingleShotMultiBoxDetection. WhilstdescribingtheDLCounter-IEDtechniques,he highlightscurrentlimitationstotheseframeworks. Currentlytheycannotoperatefullyindependentlybut requirehumansupervisionfordecisionmakingon safetygrounds.Additionally,theseDLsystemsrely ontheavailabilityoflargedatasetsforaccurate detectionandclassifcationofIEDs.Theauthor concludesthatthecombinationofAIandDLhas signifcantpotentialtoenhanceIEDdetectionand classifcationinthefuture.■
RobHyde-Balesbiography
DuringhiscareerintheUKRoyal Engineers, RobHyde-Bales was responsibleforlandmineclearance inLibyaand,morelatterly, Afghanistanintherunningofthe frstUnitedNationshumanitarian landmineclearancetraining programme–OperationSalam.The programmetrainedAfghanmalerefugeesinlandmine clearancetechniques,andAfghanwomenandchildren inmineawarenessandavoidancetraining.More recentlyhesetuptheCaribbeanSearchCentrein Kingston,Jamaica.TheCentreisdesignedtotrain securityforcesacrosstheCaribbeaninmodernsearch techniques.Afterretiringfromthearmyhejoined CranfeldUniversityatShrivenham,nearOxford,and undertookaresearchprojectonbehalfoftheUK MinistryofDefencethatexaminedwaystoimprovethe sharingofIEDthreatinformationbetweenthemilitary andcivilianorganisationsinhazardousareas.
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