View Full Version : New anti-IED technology?
D9 (RIP)
08-17-2005, 20:36
Just caught a blurb on Fox News about a company Ionotron that has sold 12 vehicles as prototypes to the US military that use some kind of plasma laser technology to detect and remotely detonate IEDs on the move. According to the report, this vehicle uses a laser to direct an intense electrical charge (akin to a small lightning strike), sweeping the roadsides in front of moving convoys. The charge is such that it either detonates, or fries all the electronics, of any IEDs in it's range.
It's a remotely piloted deal.
Hopefully this technology works out. If so, it seems like the kind of thing that could take some wind out of an insurgency that gets a lot of mileage out of IEDs.
It's on the Fox News 24/7 free video page right now as "Bomb Buster: will a high-tech gadget save lives in Iraq." Unfortunately, it is not an article and I can't figure out how to link directly to the video. The company that makes the technology is Ionatron. I looked on their website but it's predominantly investor information with just a few blurbs about their technology.
Except for the remotely piloted part, it sounds very similar to our command's anti-mine laser system, Zeus:
http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_Laser,,00.html
http://optics.org/articles/ole/10/3/3/1
Ambush Master
08-17-2005, 20:50
It's been around for a while. It is a High Energy Microwave device. I think that the limiting factor is what it does to PEOPLE that are within it's path.
It is being studied for an "airborne" application where it could clear paths in front of multiple tracks.
(Compliments of Aviation Week and Space Technology)
The Reaper
08-17-2005, 21:04
Won't work on a non-electric system or device.
Mines, non-el boobytraps, fuzed devices, etc.
If it works, the G's will change to get around it pretty quickly, like they have with other technologies.
TR
EchoSixMike
08-18-2005, 13:23
It's another IED countermeasure system. This team just got better marketing for free from Fox. Most of this stuff was at the Secret level last time I heard, guess they didn't get the memo or just don't care. :mad:
Except for the remotely piloted part, it sounds very similar to our command's anti-mine laser system, Zeus:
Nope, nothing like that. The way this thing claims to work, it doesn't need to recognize the IED IOT destroy it. It induces a voltage in any conductive material, causing the IED to detonate. The savages could go to non-electric systems or take other countermeasures best not discussed openly, but it would take away the vast majority of the IED's out there. The race between attack and defend would go on. Seems like it would be a useful sweeping system, a tool for the guys in the counter-IED pathfinder units. Beats the Hell outta just using Mk 1 eyeball and a hydraulic arm. S/F.....Ken M
Won't work on a non-electric system or device.
Mines, non-el boobytraps, fuzed devices, etc.
If it works, the G's will change to get around it pretty quickly, like they have with other technologies.
TR
TR and I agree!!! :D I'm a great one for challenges.put up an obstacle and I won't rest untill I find a way around, over, under or through it. This is a constant game of cat and mouse. The bad guys have the upper hand since the good guys have to react. When you think you are safe you are soon to be dead!! :(
SupportSoldier
08-21-2005, 03:44
Just caught a blurb on Fox News about a company Ionotron that has sold 12 vehicles as prototypes to the US military that use some kind of plasma laser technology to detect and remotely detonate IEDs on the move. According to the report, this vehicle uses a laser to direct an intense electrical charge (akin to a small lightning strike), sweeping the roadsides in front of moving convoys. The charge is such that it either detonates, or fries all the electronics, of any IEDs in it's range.
It's a remotely piloted deal.
Hopefully this technology works out. If so, it seems like the kind of thing that could take some wind out of an insurgency that gets a lot of mileage out of IEDs.
It's on the Fox News 24/7 free video page right now as "Bomb Buster: will a high-tech gadget save lives in Iraq." Unfortunately, it is not an article and I can't figure out how to link directly to the video. The company that makes the technology is Ionatron. I looked on their website but it's predominantly investor information with just a few blurbs about their technology.
As the guy who installs the anti-IED systems on the GB's vehicles now it sounds good, but you're gonna need time to install and teach the guys how to use them. I've been runnin' around outside the wire for about two months trying to get teams up to speed on the current SOF issue IED jammer, and I've got a lot more guys to teach and a lot more installs to do......