Posts By: Jacob Charles

Preparing for take-off

Later this month, airports must begin to lift restrictions on liquids, aerosols and gels. Frédéric Brouiller reveals how new technology is helping them rise to the challenge   In August 2006, terrorists were intercepted at London’s Heathrow Airport after attempting to blow up a series of aircraft using homemade liquid explosives in soft drink bottles…. Read more »

The fight against fear

Could anything have been done to prevent the murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich last month? John Chisholm examines the nation’s response to the attack   The brutal murder of Lee Rigby, in broad daylight, by two men determined to kill, has understandably shocked the nation. Followed soon afterwards by what looks to have been… Read more »

Beneath the skin

  Why are more airports not using X-ray technology to detect internally concealed contraband and other threats such as explosives, asks Tony Kingham   I would argue that there is a compelling case for X-ray detection equipment to be deployed in the departure lounge of every international airport. In recent years, we have seen the… Read more »

Beyond the Boston bombing

Anthony Tucker-Jones surveys the latest terrorist plots that have blighted North America and says it’s business as usual for the jihadists   Without warning, the double blast caught the spectators and runners on the streets of Boston completely by surprise. The terrible shrapnel-riddled shock wave scythed outward, not upward, and one of the fatalities was… Read more »

A two-pronged evolution

Mike Luedicke discusses how IED disruptors and the remotely operated vehicles used to deploy them have become not only more lightweight but also more effective   Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are a crucial tool for improvised explosive device (IED) disposal professionals worldwide. They allow the operator to identify, survey and defeat the IED from a… Read more »

The fight against explosives

Robert Shaw looks at how improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have evolved over the decades and surveys the technology being developed to defeat them   Since the very first use of explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by terrorists and criminals, the world of counter-IEDs has gradually increased in visibility and importance. The British have spent… Read more »

Back to the bunkers

Timothy Compston reports on why the issue of nuclear-related civil defence is rearing its head again after decades resting in the shadows   As the number of states looking to develop and deploy nuclear weapons continues to grow despite measures such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, what steps should countries on… Read more »

Defending the fortresses

Steve Chambers looks at what can be done to protect buildings against the effects of explosive devices and minimise damage if an attack does happen   As recent events in Boston, Canada and numerous conflict areas around the world have shown, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are increasingly popular weapons for terrorists and other violent groups…. Read more »

The chemical question

Syria stands accused of using chemical weapons against its people. But how reliable is the evidence, asks John Chisholm   According to some recent news reports and the Syria Watch blog, President Assad has authorised the use of chemical weapons on his own people. Other reports claim that elements of the Syrian army have used… Read more »

Disrupt or be disrupted

Clive Gale looks at how the technology used to build disruptors has evolved since the 1970s, helping bomb disposal experts to work more safely   The improvised explosive device (IED) has become the weapon of choice for insurgents and terrorist groups around the world. IEDs first started to evolve in the 1970s, when they were… Read more »