IED conference scheduled for April

Published 16 February 2007

Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization to hold a three-day conference in Leesburg, Virginia; event open to industry and academia, but attendees must possess secret clearances; Ike Skelton to give the keynote address

No doubt both speed bump and explosively formed projectiles will be on everyone’s lips in April when the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization holds a three-day conference in Leesburg, Virginia for industry, academia, government laboratories and agencies to discuss the threat of IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Considering as the Defense Department has asked for $4 billion in funding in its fiscal 2008 budget and $2.4 billion in its fiscal 2007 supplemental budget to counter IEDs, turnout is likely to be heavy from industry heavyweights and start-ups alike — although all attendees must possess secret clearances. Among the topics for discussion will be IED triggers and initiators, IED detection and mitigation, and counter-radio-controlled IED electronic warfare systems. Representative Ike Skelton (D-Missouri) and retired Army General Montgomery Meigs, the organization’s director, will be the keynote speakers.

-read more in Bob Brewin’s FCW report