Defence Research and Development Canada
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DRDC Suffield testing of the PigstickTM barrel disruptor trial against a hard package IED device.
On 17 and 18 July, DRDC Suffield's IED Neutralization project team updated the CF on the results-to-date of over 350 explosives disruption trials (trial series Pandora) conducted under the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Neutralization Project. Titled "Neutralization and Detection of IEDs", this project is part of the DRDC Applied Research Program and was launched in April 2004 with a five year task to test and evaluate commercially available disruptor equipment for the CF.
The Pandora trials included an evaluation of the following manufacturers' commercially available and prototype equipment: AB Precision, Alford Technologies, Cherry Engineering, Ideal Technologies, MREL, Proparms, QinetiQ, Richmond EEI and Telerob. The manufacturers were invited to participate in the trials of their specific technologies under free-field conditions and against suitable targets, including precision applications, hard packages, soft-skinned targets, vehicle borne IEDs and large vehicle borne IEDs. Technologies included a wide range of reusable and disposable disruptors of both barrel and molded plastic type. In addition to evaluating the disruptors' effects on targets, data was collected on water jet characteristics, over-pressure and down-range hazards. The trial was very unique within the international Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community for the sheer magnitude and scope of the trial. Data sharing will no doubt follow between Canada, the US Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) and the UK Ministry of Defence.
The overarching goal of this project, led by DRDC scientist Matt Ceh and various military and civilian technical support staff, is to provide direct S&T support to the CF EOD mandate by developing and assessing new and emerging IED Neutralization technologies.
By the end of the meeting the CF project managers had gained a thorough appreciation for the effectiveness and limitations of the various disruptor technologies evaluated by the IED neutralization project team at DRDC Suffield. In turn, the team has proposed a family of tools for delivery to the CF EOD community. It is apparent this project has enhanced the CF operational capability and knowledge of IED disrupter technologies.
