Canberra cancelled robot IED detection system in 2004

Published 9 November 2007

Aussie soldiers in Afghanistan are just as exposed to IEDs as U.S. soldiers; in 2004 the Australian government canceled a project aimed to detect IEDs, and Australians want to know why

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are a problem not only for U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also for Australian soldiers. The government of Michael Howard in Australia canceled work in 2004 to develop robotic technology capable of dealing with roadside bombs, which could have saved, for example, Sergeant Michael Lyddiard from the severe injuries he suffered in Afghanistan last week. Known by its army designation as Project Land 133, it was shut down by former defense minister Robert Hill. The aim of the program was to develop robotic technology to counter IEDs, the leading cause of coalition casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. Questions are now being asked inside Defense as to why Australian soldiers and explosive detector dogs are being used to render roadside bombs safe when other NATO forces use advanced robotics. Thousands of remote-control mine and IED detectors have been rushed to Afghanistan and Iraq by the U.S. military, with more than 5,000 in operation last April, up from 150 in 2004. The Australian Defense Force (ADF), however, relies mainly on sniffer dogs and perilous manual defusing.

In 2004, aware of the emerging threat posed by IEDs, the army had been trialling tests involving a robotic powered Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle fitted with hi-tech sensors able to detect roadside bombs or land mines. Early tests of the Route and Area Mine Neutralization System recorded a 95 percent detection rate of explosives. Instead of being issued with advanced robotic detection equipment, the ADF in Afghanistan relies on a South African 1980s vintage “Chubby” anti-mine tractor, explosive detection dogs, and full body armor for manually defusing bombs. The ADF yesterday confirmed that incidents of IED attacks were increasing in Afghanistan. Of special concern was the increasing technical sophistication of IED weaponry used by Taliban insurgents. According to Australian Defense Business Review magazine, the ADF is seeking to fast-track the acquisition of a remote-controlled IED route clearance system in line with the U.S. and other NATO countries. A spokesman for Defense Minister Brendan Nelson admitted the project had been shut down but said the decision was taken on the advice of the army. “The Government acts on the advice of the Australian Defence Force when implementing counter-IED policies, programs and technologies,” the spokesman said.