What do ieds look like

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Improvised Explosive Devices IEDs are effective weapons and can be delivered to their chosen locations in a number of ways, including by suicide bombers.

Although there is no definitive physical profile for a suicide bomber, there are various signs that may indicate an individual carrying a device or conducting reconnaissance. IEDs delivered via the post are discussed specifically within the Mail Handling section of this guidance.

Read more about Mail handling and Mail Screening. Read more about Vehicle Bombs. The effects of a detonated IED can be highly destructive. In addition to the initial blast which can be lethal, debris such as broken glass and metal in the form of secondary fragmentation, can cause further injury at a considerable distance away from the seat of the explosion.

The longer term disruption as a result of the blast can last for many further weeks, leading to business continuity, economic damage and infrastructure challenges. If you think your site could be at risk from an IED, there are physical and procedural mitigation measures that can be utilised to help reduce the risk. For site specific advice, contact your local CTSA.

The variety of protective security measures which may be utilised to strengthen a site against an IED attack are featured throughout this guidance. The following points and principles however may serve as points for further discussion and inform your protective security posture:.

Read more about Physical Security. Read more about Personnel and People Security. Read more about Personal Security. To help us improve GOV. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in.

Cookies on GOV. UK We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies. Using this categorization, we can see the following:. Clearly there are many variations within each of these categories, but generally almost all IEDs fall within these three main areas. Recent developments have not essentially changed these fundamentals. Typically, IEDs have four key components: a main charge of explosives, an explosive initiator a small amount of energetic explosives , a switching mechanism and a container of some sort.

Most developments in IED design and construction involve one or more of these. Perpetrators of IED attacks are faced with a range of targets and naturally those targets may take measures to improve their protection in the event of an attack. This naturally leads to the perpetrator considering ways in which to amplify the effect of the explosive component in order to overcome those defensive measures.

At the simplest level this might simply be the use of larger quantities of explosives. Over the last few years we have seen larger and larger VBIEDs in a variety of countries around the world as security protocols, using things such as road blocks, keep VBIEDs further from their targets.

A second development is the use of a more sophisticated explosive component design. When faced with armored targets some terrorist groups have used the physics of explosive component design to develop the design of the warhead to create a more penetrative effect, using — for instance — shaped charges. Shaped charges come in a variety of configurations, from high angle cones to dishes, all of which are deformed by the complex transition of the explosive blast wave into a range of penetrative effects.

These effects can be further developed by the use of a range of different metals, which deform in different ways. Perpetrators of IED attacks do not necessarily have access to military explosives.

In these circumstances, those constructing IEDs must develop their own explosives. The chemistry of an oxidising reaction is such that in the right proportions and with the right level of mixing, the reaction becomes explosive when properly initiated. However, a very wide range of different fuels are possible and they do not need to be carbon based — some recent developments have seen the use of a range of differing fuels and oxidisers, usually driven by the availability of material e.

But there may be other reasons for this development. ANFO mixes separate out over time as the liquid fuel oil moves to the bottom of the container, causing less than perfect mixing — but an Aluminum powder and Ammonium Nitrate mix separates much less over time. The range of possible fuels and oxidizers is quite significant, and some developments have seen the use of innovative precursor materials. In other circumstances, rather than create a mix of fuels and oxidisers some IED constructors have developed explosive compounds — a single chemical material that is explosive when it decomposes.

Such explosives were effectively first discovered in the 19th century, with the work of Nobel to develop Nitroglycerine and subsequently others to develop TNT. TATP has been used in devices as a main charge, but is also energetic and sensitive enough to be used as an initiator. Design of projected IEDs, such as improvised mortars and rockets to extend range and effect.

Improvised mortars and rockets have been around for decades, and perhaps centuries. In a number of places, they are still being developed, typically to extend range or payload. In recent years there have been some significant developments to conceal IEDs so that they can pass a variety of forms of security screenings. Devices have been built in to the body of a vehicle, into shoes so to hide them during pre-flight aviation security, and in one incident built into a complex piece of equipment a printer to allow it to be loaded on an aircraft.

In truth, concealing devices is not new but IED users are continuing to show innovative developments in this regard. Command initiation developments, typically utilises modern radio technology. Makers of IEDs have always used radio initiation systems to remove themselves from the site of a bomb location. Fundamentally, the radio control system is no more than a switch, but a switch that many nations have now spent billions of dollars to defeat.