IEDU.K. Ministry of Defense seeking IED sensors of the future

Published 9 August 2012

The U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) scientists are soliciting ideas from U.K. industry and academia to showcase their innovative ideas for detecting improvised explosive devices (IEDs); in particular, MoD is looking for sensors that can detect concealed IEDs, either worn by a person or hidden in a vehicle, buried by or in the roadside or hidden in a wall, box, bag, or another container

The U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) scientists are soliciting ideas from U.K. industry and academia to showcase their innovative ideas for detecting improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

MoD says that experts at the ministry’s Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) are accepting applications to work with them, potentially to take part in a series of demonstration days which will take place between 3 September 2012 and 31 January 2013.

DSTL says it is interested in concepts at a very early stage of development, through to those at the prototype stage. Industry and academia with the most promising and sufficiently developed submissions will be invited to a DSTL site where the innovations will be tested against a representative threat. In particular, the sensing challenges will focus on concealed IEDs, either worn by a person or hidden in a vehicle, buried by or in the roadside or hidden in a wall, box, bag, or another container.

Organizations with a selected submission will work with DSTL and military subject matter experts to design a scenario suited to the technological maturity of their proposed sensing solution. DSTL will provide feedback to each applicant, regardless of success. There is the possibility of funding for the most promising concepts.

DSTL Security Sciences Department senior fellow, Don Hardy says: “This is another example of DSTL working together with industry and academia to explore novel concepts which may lead to equipment upgrades for U.K. armed forces.

“We’re looking for innovative ideas ranging from conceptual studies to pieces of equipment, regardless of technological maturity, which could be used to improve the detection of concealed IEDs.

“Following the demonstration days technical and military subject matter experts will review the performance of each concept and identify projects which have performed to a level worthy of further research.”

The final deadline for submissions is 31 October 2012, but interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, to ensure that consultation over logistics can begin. Application forms can be found on the DSTL Web site.