The job of ordnance disposal technicians is rapidly changing. After decades of handling prevasive ground-level threats of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan and Iraq, disposal techs are reinventing their jobs for a new threat: drones with explosives. As they adjust, they are adding drones to their own arsenals for dealing with explosives.
Over the last two decades, Army ordnance disposal technicians were tasked with rendering more than 100,000 improvised explosive devices “safe” in Iraq and Afghanistan. But as the face of warfare changes, the threat of one-way attack unmanned aerial systems and drones strapped with munitions and explosives are becoming a topic that ordnance disposal technicians are being increasingly trained on.
Read more…
Source: Task & Purpose
Related:
- AMCOM employee serves in dual intel role as Soldier, civilian
March 23, 2021
As a third generation service member, joining the military was never really a question for Staff Sgt. Jordan Summers — he knew he wanted to serve his country. However, after moving around the globe during his childhood, he chose the National Guard because it offered the best of both worlds — service and stability — allowing ...
- Hong Kong: World War 2 explosives unearthed near Twin Peaks trail above Stanley
March 22, 2021
Dozens of hikers trekking the Twins Peak near Stanley on Sunday were evacuated after wartime grenades were unearthed nearby. Just before 1 pm, police received reports that suspected explosives dating back to World War 2 had been found along the Wilson Trail running through Tai Tam Country Park. Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau arrived at ...
- India: Explosives destroyed under Army supervision near Chennai
March 21, 2021
Over seven tonnes of explosives seized 15 years ago were from steel melting plants in Gummidipoondi Sipcot is being destroyed under the supervision of experts from the Indian Army. “On Friday, some 10 explosives were destroyed on trial basis and on Saturday 600 were destroyed in controlled explosion,” said a senior police officer. It was monitored ...
- Nigeria: Police Defuse Abandoned Improvised Explosive Device In Kano
March 19, 2021
Residents of Aujirawa Alkali Village, Gezawa local government area of Kano, were thrown into confusion when they discovered an alleged motor vehicle planted with bomb explosive. This was just as the state Police command defused an Improvised Explosive Device abandoned by yet-to-be-identified persons at Aujirawa Alkali Village, Gezawa LGA, Kano. An investigation conducted revealed that the purported ...
- California: Live pipe bomb found near Sacramento County elementary school, official says
March 19, 2021
A live pipe bomb was found outside a Sacramento County elementary school Friday morning and disassembled, authorities said. A similar device was found near the campus earlier this month. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said in a tweet just after 7 a.m. that there was a “large police presence” in the 5700 block of Laurine Way, ...
- Afghansitan: ANA destroyed 36 IEDs placed by Taliban on public roads in Helmand province
March 17, 2021
36 IEDs which were placed by Taliban on public roads in Gireshk district of Helmand province, were discovered and defused by ANA. Lives of tens of civilians were saved as a result. https://twitter.com/MoDAfghanistan/status/1372059601475092483 600 soldiers graduated from 207 corps military training center yesterday. They have received advanced military training under tough condition. They pledged to defend Afghanistan ...
- Libya: JMC & GNU meet in Sirte to discuss mine clearance and opening the main coastal road
March 16, 2021
Libya’s 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) held a meeting in Sirte to discuss ongoing efforts to clear mines and war remnants from the coastal road linking the city to Misrata to officially reopen the road for travel and safe use by citizens. “The meeting discussed progress in removing mines along the coastal road,” Mohamed Turjuman, director ...
- South Korea commits US$10mil to Cambodia for mine clearance
March 16, 2021
South Korea on Tuesday committed US$10 million to increase Cambodia’s mine clearance and victim assistance efforts from 2021 to 2025, according to a joint press statement. The project is implemented by the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) with strategic and technical advisory support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the statement said. “Landmine ...
- The Hurt Locker: Major Vasant Laxman Jadhav is yet to be recognised for his bravery
March 14, 2021
Ex-Major Vasant Laxman Jadhav defused a 12-kilo RDX device hidden in a scooter at the Dadar rly station on March 14, 1993 but is yet to be recognised for his bravery. Major Vasant Laxman Jadhav (retired), who saved hundreds of lives by defusing a powerful 12-kg RDX-linked bomb in Dadar during the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts and helped defuse ...
- Libya: Three tons of war remnants detonated near Buerat Al-Hassoun area
March 14, 2021
The spokesman for the Sirte-Jufra Operations Room, Abdelhadi Drah, said military engineering teams had combed through the area from eastern Abu Grein onward to scour for explosive remnants of war (ERW) left by Khalifa Haftar’s forces. Drah said the teams had detonated three tons of ERW found in the area so the amount of detonated ERW ...
- Sri Lanka: US backs mine clearing operations
March 12, 2021
US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Martin Kelly visited a Mines Advisory Group (MAG) demining site, earlier this week to observe the measures undertaken to clear explosive hazards in the area and speak with a team of female deminers. The project, which is part of the more than one billion Sri Lankan Rupees ($5.5 ...
- British Columbia: RCMP investigating IED bombs set off at Penticton school, park
March 9, 2021
RCMP in Penticton are investigating a series of explosions of IEDs in the city in recent days. Over the past few days, police have been looking into multiple reports of loud explosion sounds seemingly coming from various open areas in the city, which have been found to be linked to explosive devices. Each explosion has happened late ...
- 10 years of conflict: ‘It will take at least two generations to rebuild Syria’
March 5, 2021
15th March 2021 marks 10 years since the start of the conflict in Syria, and the humanitarian crisis is only getting worse. Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is working in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt with Syrians who have lost everything and need humanitarian aid to survive. Humanitarian needs are immense, while access to people in need ...
- France provides additional USD 617,000 for UNMAS activities in Iraq
March 4, 2021
Baghdad, 04 March 2021 – The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Iraq welcomes an additional contribution of EUR 505,000 (approximately USD 617,000) from the Government of France renewing its commitment in supporting the Government of Iraq to protect the populations threatened by the deadly explosive ordnance left behind by the Islamic State of ...
- Ireland: Controlled explosion on grounds of St James’ Hospital after ‘explosive’ chemical discovered
March 4, 2021
The Defence Forces has carried out a controlled explosion on the grounds of St James’ Hospital in Dublin 8 this morning after chemical material was discovered. Following a request from An Garda Síochána, an Army Bomb Disposal Team were tasked to investigate the suspected hazardous material at St James’ Hospital. The team arrived at the scene ...
- Afghanistan: GCPSU arrested two mine planters in Kabul province; ANP EOD unit detected 14 IEDs in Helmand, Paktika and Maidan Wardak provinces
March 4, 2021
GCPSU arrested two mine planters in Surobi district of Kabul province. Meanwhile, ANP bomb disposal unit detected 14 IEDs after several hours of efforts and point to point search operations in Helmand, Paktika & Maidan Wardak provinces. https://twitter.com/moiafghanistan/status/1367395209626157057 25 February 2021 – ANP bomb disposal unit discovered & neutralized 6 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Kandahar, Nimruz ...
- AFIMSC units earn Air Force Gear of Government awards
March 3, 2021
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) — Two Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center units won Gears of Government awards recently for delivering mission results, customer service and accountable stewardship. The Air Force Category Management Program, part of the Air Force Installation Contracting Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Air Force Civil Engineer ...
- Iowa: Pipe bomb found, safely detonated at Ankeny polling location
March 3, 2021
Voting was interrupted for about three hours Tuesday when a pipe bomb was found outside an Iowa polling location, officials said. A couple walking their dog found the device just before 9:30 a.m. outside Lakeside Center, a multipurpose building in Ankeny, according to police and Jamie Fitzgerald, the Polk County auditor and elections commissioner. Lakeside Center, about ...
- UK: Bomb disposal units called to Southend-on-Sea after WWII bombs found washed up on coast
March 2, 2021
Bomb disposal units have been repeatedly called out to the Essex coast after several suspected ordnances were found. Between February 27 and March 1, HM Coastguard in Southend-on-Sea were called to areas along the coastline after several devices, believed to be WWII German aircraft bombers, were discovered. The bomb disposal unit found the bombs in two separate ...
- Hong Kong: Police bomb disposal team detonates old mortar shell found in Shek O
March 2, 2021
Bomb disposal experts detonated an old mortar shell after a gardener found the explosive inside a detached house on 11 Big Wave Bay Road in Shek O. The force said officers were alerted to a 3-inch long metal shell around noon today by a member of the public. Around 20 including residents and workers of the detached ...
- California: Pipe bomb and loaded gun found at south Sacramento elementary school
March 2, 2021
Authorities on Tuesday found a pipe bomb and a loaded homemade gun near the front office of Baker Elementary School in south Sacramento, sheriff’s officials said. The pipe bomb and the homemade gun, also known as a “zip gun,” were found on the sidewalk just outside the front office Tuesday morning, before children students arrived on ...
- Exeter WW2 bomb: Doors and windows ‘blown through’
March 1, 2021
Properties in Exeter are being assessed for structural damage after the controlled detonation of a World War Two bomb. A structural engineer said doors and windows of nearby houses had been “blown through” by the blast. Hundreds of people evacuated from the area on Friday spent a third night away from home. The 2,200lb (1,000kg) German bomb was ...