Former British Army soldiers have developed a smartphone app intended to offer the public a better understanding of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
In 2011 Warrant Officer Richard Stevens of the Royal Engineers was training fellow soldiers how to clear routes of explosive devices and landmines in Afghanistan. In 2012 he retired from the military and developed the Landmine Awareness iPhone application for people travelling to countries affected by landmines. He has now released his second app; Collective Awareness to Improvised Explosive Devices (CAT-IED).
This new app details how terrorists build bombs and hide them, awaiting their potential victim. From the component parts of an explosive device to the visual indicators left by terrorists planting the devices this app gives the user a basic understanding of what to look for and how to respond. Users may include a soldier in a hostile country, a NGO rebuilding a country post-conflict or a tourist travelling in a country affected by IEDs.
Richard says this IED awareness app allows people to be better informed about the hazards of terrorist and extremist explosive devices. The awareness training section introduces why we should all be concerned about the threat. This expands into details of how to respond in a terrorist IED situation. The IED database allows people to see and identify what an IED might look like once constructed. And a section on terrorist groups by country allows the user to have a better understanding which terrorist groups are operating in a specific country and which IEDs they are likely to use.
Richard has partnered with ATOM Training, a UK counter-IED training consultancy to ensure all information within the app is relevant and up to date detailing terrorist threats. You can download the “IED Awareness” app from the:
App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/id552322702?ls=1&mt=8
Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.uxo_cat.iedawareness.qi907
