IED & Search Awareness for Close Protection Personnel

IED and Search Awareness

Examine the improvised explosive device threat to VIPs and approaches to defeating it.
Familiarize military, law enforcement and civilian close protection specialists with the technical and operational framework, processes and responses required to protect against the IED threat.

Location: Central London

Your expert trainer:

Is a counter-improvised explosive device specialist, who formerly served as a British counter-terrorist bomb disposal operator in numerous high threat environments and as a commander of a number of highly specialist units in the IED defeat area of expertise.  He has also been employed as a weapons intelligence/counter IED operative during his extensive career and crucially, has significant experience in the training of special forces close protection operators in the avoidance and defeat of IED’s worldwide.

Additionally, he has a wide-ranging experience in the development of C-IED operations and processes including system and device defeat; training processes to counter IEDs including operational/tactical and staff/leadership programs; and extensive knowledge of technological means to counter IEDs. 

Benefits of attending:

• Limited delegation, allowing highly interactive training
• Pre-course questionnaires giving you the opportunity to further tailor the course to your personal and organizations priorities
• Practical workshops and case-study examples
• Comprehensive course documentation

 

Day one

Training schedule

Registration:	0830hrs
Training Commences:	0900hrs
Lunch:	1245hrs
Conclusion of Day:	1700hrs

 

Focus: 

Mitigating against the IED threat:  Terrorist capabilities, including the IED process from inception to detonation.  C-IED TTPs, understanding how information and intelligence can be gathered by the range of Counter IED intelligence assets and crucially how close protection personnel can use them to refine their TTPs to protect against the IED threat.  Scenario based workshops (case studies based on real incidents) in order for students (in syndicates) to study what actions must be carried out to successfully defeat the system.

 

Mitigating Against the IED Threat:

• The history of terrorism and it’s affects
• What is an Improvised Explosive Device – Basic IED Construction
• IED Component Recognition and Detection (for Search Operations):

• Components and Switches
• Explosives Familiarisation (Military, Commercial and Improvised Explosives)
• Triggering and Switching Mechanisms
• Time
• VO
• Command (including radio control and command wire)

• Terrorist IED Tactics, Techniques and Procedures
• Terrorist Use of IEDs in Assassination Attempts (Case Studies)
• Global IED Threat Overview (including future threats):

• The IED threat to land-based targets
• The IED threat to maritime assets
• The IED threat to aviation assets
• The Suicide IED Threat
• The Postal IED Threat

• Terrorist IED network and its components. The development and workings of a network, organisation and weak spots.
• Case study
• Questions

 

Day two

Training schedule

Training Commences:	0900hrs
Lunch:	1245hrs
Conclusion of Day:	1700hrs

   

Focus: 

Phase 2 focuses on the technical and operational framework, processes and responses required to protect against IED attacks.

 

Technical and Operational Responses to IED incidents:

• Close Protection team safety principles – overview of measures to prevent successful targeting by terrorists- mobile/foot moves, team/VIP protection, CREW/ECM, IED search
• IED Search Operations:

• Capabilities and equipment
• Venue Search
• Vessel and Harbour Search
• Aircraft Search

• Actions following successful attack- IED reaction drills, control measures
• Introduction to IED Intelligence Exploitation
• Spectrum management in a C-IED environment. Equipment compatibility challenges.
• ECM principals and TTPs. From a Friendly and Enemy forces perspective.
• Specialized C-IED/IED equipment. To include equipment demo or videos.
• CP Team Counter-IED TTPs. Definition and principles (namely: prediction, prevention, protection, detection, neutralization, exploitation) - the demands and realities.
• Contingency and emergency planning - Developing CP Team counter-IED Plans, Policies and Operations.
• Threat assessment and management: Risk reduction measures to reduce the threat you face
• Methods of protecting against an IED attack (including target hardening).
• Incident management & reporting. Control and reporting of incidents.
• Responding to Telephone Bomb Threats
• Post attack or incident considerations
• Military and Law Enforcement Response to terrorist IEDs

• The problem
• Responses
• Interdiction Operations
• Considerations
• The future

•  Case study.

 

About Your Trainer

He is a recently retired Major from the British Army and a former Ammunition Technical Officer.  During his 17 years in the Military he served in a variety of operational Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) appointments and has seen active service in a number of high threat theatres including Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia and Northern Ireland. 

During much of his EOD career he specialised in overt and covert ‘Assault IEDD' operations in support of Police Tactical Firearms Units, close protection teams and specialist CT units.  He also deployed on a number of anti-terrorist arrest operations in the UK and was the architect of the UK’s EOD response to a suicide bomb attack on the UK mainland.  Later, he played an instrumental role during the July 2005 London bombings when he was seconded to the British Government’s COBR-A as a suicide terrorism subject matter expert. 

In addition to his operational experience, he has designed numerous Counter IED related training seminars, courses and exercises.  He is qualified in all aspects of EOD including specialist manual techniques; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear device neutralisation; High threat IEDD operations; Assault IEDD; Explosive breaching and demolition as well as conventional munitions disposal. 

He retired from the MOD in 2007 as the MOD’s senior IED intelligence analyst to become the director of Kratos: a counter-IED consultancy company.   He lives in Herefordshire and divides his time between training military and law enforcement personnel and providing specialist consultancy services in the UK and overseas. 

He was awarded the Queens Gallantry Medal in 2005 for his actions in Iraq the previous year.  He has written and presented numerous papers on countering IEDs, is a former chairman of the technical committee of the Institute of Explosives Engineers and a Freeman of the City of London.

Course Summary

The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) is one of the most dangerous and the most effective weapon system facing close protection operatives today.  IEDs have become the insurgents’ preferred weapon of choice. They are inexpensive, relatively easy to produce, difficult to counter and have a very attractive risk/reward ratio for the insurgent. 

As the leading cause today of fatalities and injuries to deployed close protection personnel, there is a recognizable need to act quickly and decisively to develop effective responses to counter the IED threat, in order to operate safely and effectively in both conflict and peacetime environments. Crucially, there is an essential requirement for close protection personnel at all levels to be trained to plan for, identify, and take appropriate actions according to expectations and operational standards of their clients.  Countering Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) is probably the most demanding and challenging technological problem facing close protection personnel today.

Attention will be focused on examining the IED threat to VIPs as well as familiarizing military, law enforcement and civilian close protection providers with the technical and operational framework, processes and applications required to protect against it.

Participation

This course is strictly limited in numbers due to the highly interactive, seminar approach.  Enrolment will be on a first come, first accepted basis.

Who should attend?

Government Attendee Profile is:

Directors/Analysts/Experts/Commanders/Operators/Trainers involved in the following disciplines:
• Close Protection/PSD
• Force Protection
• Research and Technology
• Homeland Security
• Explosives research
• EOD/IEDD Scientific and Engineering
• Search Operations

Industry Attendee Profile is:

Directors/Corporate Managers/Operators/Trainers in:

• Close protection/PSD
• RF Systems
• Neutralisation, Protection and Threat Mitigation
• Explosive Detection
• Science and Security
• Transport Security
• IEDD/EOD Security Training Centers
• Force Protection
• First Responders
• Journalists
• Airport Security
• Maritime Security