IED Detection and Defeat Focus Day: Monday, January 25, 2010

7:30 am – 8:00 am Registration And Coffee

8:00 am – 10:00 am Find The Device: Remote Controlled IED Location In A Dense Urban Environment

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are often enabled by consumer-grade electronic devices. Commodity wireless devices have made possible completely decentralized communications among adversaries. At the same time, areas of interest to operators have shifted from jungles and deserts to primarily urban settings, where elevated electronic noise and dense multipath are more the rule than the exception. This workshop will focus on new developments using SIGINT solutions designed to pinpoint the very weak RF signals that are typical of the unintentional radiated emissions from electronic devices and receivers.

What will be covered:

  • Multipath Mitigation and Source Association
  • Operating in multipath-rich urban environments

How you will benefit:

  • Discuss the strengths and limitations of various approaches
  • Analyze minimum detection limits

Session Leader:

Dr. Howard Fan
President
Grid Systems

10:00 am – 11:30 am Defeat The Device: Cutting-Edge Modeling And Simulation To Assess And Improve IED Jammer Effectiveness

As with any electronic warfare device, IED jammer effectiveness depends on how much RF energy is available at the device front end. Further, detection systems rely on receiving sufficient energy to be able to detect the trigger device. Modeling and simulation can be used to determine CREW system effectiveness while giving detailed insight into the key factors that impact effectiveness.

How can the system designer and end user ensure that the system delivers maximum power to jam an IED? Conversely how can a system ensure it has collected as much energy as possible to detect a potential IED threat? The solution to this difficult physics problem depends upon the antenna design and placement, the operational environment, and the triggering device. Once a system is designed and deployed, the effectiveness may be greatly impacted by complex terrain and urban multipath. Further complicating the problem is the variety of trigger devices operating over a wide range of frequency bands. While solving the problem in pieces often is operationally effective, the complexity of the problem warrants solving it using a new paradigm and methodology. This discussion shall address some ideas to increase CREW system effectiveness, decrease development time, and get solutions to the theater faster.

What will be covered:

  • State of the art EM simulation applied to IED problems
  • Methods and tools for modeling the impact of terrain and urban settings
  • Antenna optimization for IED detection and jamming
  • High fidelity "power on target" simulation capability

How you will benefit:

  • Understand the factors influencing "power on target"
  • Understand a methodology and paradigm for the following:
    • Achieving maximum effectiveness
    • Rapid development of CREW and detection devices
    • Rapid deployment

Session Leader:

Gregory J. Skidmore
Director
Remcom, Inc.

11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lunch Will Be Served

1:00 pn – 3:00 pm Cutting-Edge IED Defeat Techniques!: Airborne Platforms Case Studies To Detect And Defeat IEDs

This workshop will focus on the developmental efforts to utilize sensors that detect IEDs and detonation devices. These sensor detectors are mounted on a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) such that detection can be performed from an autonomous airborne platform ahead of a convoy or patrol, thereby reducing the risk of loss of life. A positive identification was achieved from a UAV approximately 75 feet above the ground, travelling at 30 mph.

What will be covered:

  • Further modifications needed
  • Increases in system sensitivity
  • Extended distance for platform patrols

How you will benefit:

  • Learn how to interpret image overlay
  • Examine GPS linked images of a specific area
  • Understand the “how-to” of positive identification

Session Leader:

Dr. Mark Patterson
Director
Advanced Ceramic Research

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm The Biometrics Of IEDs!: Field Collection And Analysis Of Forensics And Biometric Evidence Associated With IEDs

The development of technology for detecting trace levels of explosives has become a huge aid to US troops and for acquisition of forensic evidence after and IED blast. Early developments of this effort have demonstrated that personnel involved in the manufacturing, storing, deployment, and triggering of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are likely to be contaminated with trace amounts of explosive residue. This workshop will examine related sample collection techniques that have been useful tools for the screening of these individuals on the battlefield and attacking the network.

What will be covered:

  • Advanced forensics applications
  • Developing a portable personnel screening portal
  • End-user determined requirements

How you will benefit:

  • Examine in-theatre use and operational assessment
  • Analyze biometric data and collection methodology

Session Leader:

Dr. Mark Fisher
Chief Scientist
Nomadics. Inc