The IED threat is expected to remain a major threat in all future NATO missions. Many initiatives were carried out by NATO, individual nations, and other defence organisations to develop and embed methods and techniques to counter this threat.
One of these initiatives was the establishment of the NATO STO Task Group SCI-233 ‘Route Clearance Concepts’ in 2010. This TG focussed on the selection of the most optimal detection sensor technology combinations for route clearance, based on an assessment of all conceivable detection technologies. The SCI-233 results can be used as the starting point for the development of mounted stand-off detection capability in route clearance (the SCI-286 ‘Technology roadmaps towards stand -off detection in future road clearance’ will contribute to this development).
t is noted that for the other elements in route clearance, such as identification and neutralization, an assessment of technologies and methods is missing.
The Science & Technology Board (STB) constitutes the highest authority within the Science and Technology Organization (STO), and is the policy body tasked by the North Atlantic Council (NAC) through the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) and Military Committee (MC) to carry out the mission of the STO.
The STB decided to established a new Task Group to work on this missing assessments and methods.
Responsible panel: Systems Concepts and Integration (SCI) Panel
Activity reference number: SCI-298
Activity Title: Identification and Neutralization Methods and Technologies for C-IED
Time period of the TG: May 2017- May 2020
The first meeting of the SCI-298 TG on ‘Identification and Neutralization Methods and Technologies for C-IED’, was be held at the NATO Science and Technology Organization Collaboration Support Office (STO - CSO) in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, France, 9-10 May 2017.
The SCI-298 TG aims to build on the previous work done by the NATO SCI-233 RTG “Route Clearance Concepts,” which focused on the selection of optimal detection sensor technology combinations for route clearance. During the SCI-233 Research Task Group (RTG), it was decided that an assessment of technologies and methods for other elements in route clearance, such as identification and neutralization, was outside the scope of the RTG efforts. The SCI-298 RTG aims to follow the process undertaken by the SCI-233 RTG, but will specifically address the capabilities and limitations of identification and neutralization technologies and combinations of systems.
Specifically, the TG will: define a representative set of threat items and components, describe relevant scenarios for identification and neutralization, and assess of the performance of the individual and combinations of technologies for the defined threats and scenarios.
Author: LTC Zoltan Katona, HUN(A)