The Infernal Machine: The Use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) against U.S. Forces

Abstract

The use of IEDs against U.S. military forces did not begin during Operations Enduring (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Instead, both unconventional and conventional military forces engaged the U.S. military with IEDs in nearly every major since the U.S. Civil War. Many of the devices and their associated tactics, techniques and procedures (TIPs) for construction, placement and. use encountered by the U.S. military and its allies during OEF and OIF are similar to IEDs used throughout the last 150 years. The popularity that IEDs gained during OEF and OIF has the potential to become a transnational threat utilized against both the U.S. military and domestic targets. lEDs enable smaller, less equipped forces to level the playing field against larger, adversarial forces. Insurgents and terrorists within Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrated the effectiveness of IEDs. The military should expect future conflicts would include the use of IEDs. The U.S. military must continue to research technologies, develop training, and create doctrine designed to address the lED threats of the future.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 22, 2011
Accession Number
ADA600782

Entities

People

  • Jason A. Litowitz

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Afghanistan Conflict
  • Civil War
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Electronic Countermeasures
  • Employment
  • Explosive Devices
  • Explosive Ordnance Disposal
  • Explosively Formed Penetrators
  • Explosives
  • Improvised Explosive Devices
  • Improvised Weapons
  • Materials
  • Second World War
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Warfare
  • Weapons Effects

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Munitions and Ordnance Engineering
  • Strategic Security Studies