# "Speed bump" IED



## tomahawk6 (13 Feb 2007)

The enemy is cunning and smart. One more variation to watch for.

http://www.armytimes.com/issues/stories/0-ARMYPAPER-2532761.php

Troops in Iraq hit deadly ‘speed bumps’ 
Easily disguised bombs found on roadways
By Tom Vanden Brook - USA Today
Posted : February 19, 2007

A type of homemade bomb that can include parts commonly found in Iraqi kitchens and that is easy to hide on desert roads has proliferated in Anbar province and spread to other parts of the country.

Troops in armored vehicles are endangered by the bomb, which U.S. military officials call a “speed bump.” The weapon is formed by sandwiching plastic explosives between metal plates, such as baking trays, a Pentagon intelligence document shows. A detonator switch triggers the bomb when a vehicle rolls over it, ripping into the often-unarmored underside. 

Improvised explosive devices cause 70 percent of U.S. deaths and wounds in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said. Explosive devices have killed 1,337 U.S. troops and wounded 11,871 in Iraq through Jan. 27, the Pentagon said.

The speed bump first appeared in Anbar province, Pentagon records show. Anbar is a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency and is the scene of some of the heaviest fighting. 

The first devices were built with baking trays; now they’re fashioned from various types of metal.

“The enemy’s IED arsenal evolves as we succeed in defeating his methods of attack,” said Brig. Gen. Dan Allyn of the Pentagon’s anti-IED office. 

Part of the speed bump’s effectiveness springs from its ease of disguise. It’s tough to detect on desert roads where it can be covered with dirt, according to the Pentagon document.

The military spent $3.5 billion last year to defeat IEDs. Some of that money was spent on developing armored vehicles with V-shaped hulls. Those hulls can deflect the force of a blast from a speed bump or other IED outward, sparing the troops inside the vehicle the worst of the impact.

The Army and Marine Corps are reacting to the scope of the IED problem: 

• In January, the Marines placed an urgent, $9.4 million order to buy vehicles with V-shaped hulls for anti-IED work, according to Force Protection Inc. The South Carolina company produced Buffalo and Cougar combat vehicles with V-shaped hulls.

• The Army this month will begin testing the Mine Resistant Ambush Protection vehicle, whose V-shaped hull “provides an immediate and dramatic increase in underbody protection for soldiers,” Lt. Gen. Stephen Speakes, deputy chief of staff, Army G-8, told Congress in January. 

The Army plans to buy about 2,500 of the new vehicles initially, Speakes told members of the House Armed Services air and land forces subcommittee at a hearing.

The Army wants to field MRAP vehicles starting this summer as a short-term solution to getting more protection in the field.

• In October, the Marines ordered $14 million worth of mine rollers — wheeled devices that travel in front of vehicles to detonate pressure-triggered IEDs.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the Pentagon had been slow to recognize the value of V-shaped-hull vehicles but is now buying them as quickly as they can be made. 

“They’ve literally saved hundreds of lives,” said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.


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## LineDoggie (17 Feb 2007)

I especially liked the "Jersey Barrier" IED Mold we found, KIA Bongo truck had 2 barriers with 130mmHE-FRAG molded right in.  We wound up having to inspect every single one in the AO, to verify the route was clear.  The EFP's though are the worst, lost 2 good friends to them.


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## 1feral1 (17 Feb 2007)

Yes, those EFPs are truly nasty, and haunt me each time we go outside the wire. Yes IEDs too are a threat for all. Multiple EFPs, each pointing at different angles, and as for ECM, each time we do something 'he' counters it again, at times going back to default command dets.

I admire him for his adaptability and change, but dispise him for his cowardly tactics against civilians, and other gutless acts. Never underestimated for one second, he is smart, cunning, calculating enemy, and he is getting better every day. A genuinely determined foe, full of hatred, but thats his weakness.

The war one day will end for us, but internally these people will be fighting as long as there is sand in the desert. Thats just how it is here, as there is maple syrup in Canada, killing and strife is in the culture here. Democracy will not change a way of life.

Hey LD, I know Rte Irish well, from Prosperity's perimeter to the 'Winged Dude', and every little check point enroute, every overpass etc. Since Irish was handed back to the Iraqi Army, those CPs are now abandoned after dark, or when it suits them. No discipline, poor command, poorly trained, maybe one day they'll get their shyte sorted, inshallah! Hence the increased activity from snipers to IEDs and complex atttacks has gone back to the worst days of before. Not a fun road to travel on at any time.

Regards from Baghdaddy,


Wes


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## Cdn Blackshirt (17 Feb 2007)

Can any of you guys without violatig OPSEC comment on the Iranian connection to the EFP's?

The media seems to be doing its typical lazy job of coverage....


Thanks in advance, Matthew.


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## tomahawk6 (17 Feb 2007)

They are of Iranian design/manufacture. They have been used against the IDF in Lebanon. Its not new technology as its been around for over 30 years, but with todays advances in explosives they are even more deadly.Here is a good article on the subject. 

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2007/02/us_iran_arming_1.php


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## NL_engineer (17 Feb 2007)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> They are of Iranian design/manufacture. They have been used against the IDF in Lebanon. Its not new technology as its been around for over 30 years, but with todays advances in explosives they are even more deadly.Here is a good article on the subject.
> 
> http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2007/02/us_iran_arming_1.php



It looks like an Off Rote mine to me, even the V shaped hull is not made for these types of mines, as its basically a shape charge.


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## Kat Stevens (17 Feb 2007)

Here we go again.... From the pictures it's no different than the French MICAH F1 (Brit L14-A1) off route mine in both design and function.  Therefore, ahem... NOT AN IED!!  it is not improvised, it is designed and manufactured to function in a certain way... my head hurts... because it goes BOOM doesn't make it an IED.  I can't wait til CNN gets a new buzzword.


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## 1feral1 (18 Feb 2007)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Here we go again.... From the pictures it's no different than the French MICAH F1 (Brit L14-A1) off route mine in both design and function.  Therefore, ahem... NOT AN IED!!  it is not improvised, it is designed and manufactured to function in a certain way... my head hurts... because it goes BOOM doesn't make it an IED.  I can't wait til CNN gets a new buzzword.



No OPSEC here.

There are EFPs and IEDs

IED example : a hidden 107mm HE rocket along side a road with wires coming out of it, either for being victim operated or command remote/infra red/ or command detonated

EFP, well google it. In short, its a copper concave looking warhead (some 8 inches accross) with HE behind it, and it turns the copper into a molten slug, travelling at several km/sec smashing thru anything. There can be several EFPs in one group, hidden in sterifoam disguised to look like anything. They can be detonated just like an IED.

An EFP is home made, a cottage industry thing, not a factory constructed device.

The copper warheads are turned on lathes, and as CNN says, they are coming in from Iran.


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## LineDoggie (18 Feb 2007)

Wesley (Over There) said:
			
		

> Hey LD, I know Rte Irish well, from Prosperity's perimeter to the 'Winged Dude', and every little check point enroute, every overpass etc. Since Irish was handed back to the Iraqi Army, those CPs are now abandoned after dark, or when it suits them. No discipline, poor command, poorly trained, maybe one day they'll get their shyte sorted, inshallah! Hence the increased activity from snipers to IEDs and complex atttacks has gone back to the worst days of before. Not a fun road to travel on at any time.
> 
> Regards from Baghdaddy,
> 
> ...


-Damn, I'm sorry to hear it got worse, we worked hard to get the ISP's to man that route as well. I had a bad feeling when the 3ID unit took over as they didnt want to hear about our methods as we were " just Dumbass National Guardsman" according to their CO. We really had them up front, and VBIEDS stopped dead on it, IED's as well.  It took 5  of Our 19KIA & 34 of our 78 WIA but we had it under control. My Company patrolled at night exclusively looking for these Devices, finding & Neutralizing them with EOD/CEXC help.

You a single digit midget yet?


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## Kat Stevens (18 Feb 2007)

Wesley (Over There) said:
			
		

> No OPSEC here.
> 
> There are EFPs and IEDs
> 
> ...



Check my former hatbadge Wes. I know full well what an IED is, and these gizmos in Tommy's link ain't it.  It is an off-route MINE.


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## tomahawk6 (18 Feb 2007)

The difference between the IED and EFP is that the IED is well.... improvised. 
I started off with an article on so called speed bump IED's. Then I added the article on EFP's which may have muddied the waters a bit.


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## Kat Stevens (18 Feb 2007)

I was on the same page, but the device in the link is NOT an IED, that's all I'm saying.  A semtex and cookie sheet sandwich with a command detonator does qualify.  I'll say it again, because it goes BOOM, doesn't make it an IED, but I've been down this particular route before, alone it seems.


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## 1feral1 (18 Feb 2007)

Iran is apparently producing the copper warheads. They look crude. Even icecream pails have been used to house the HE, that one in the pic is what you say, but EFPs in reality are mil grade HE with the copper WH infront, all in a home made apparatus, usually sterifome. Thats the first time I have seen a fancy mount etc. Here they don't exist (so far?), and that pic is obvioulsy for reference/press publicity only. Some EFPs are even placed in walls, disguised as curbs or even rocks. Several in a bank, pointing at different angles too, some high, some low, etc. All for the best effect possible.

That pic is misleading and does represent the real deal.

Cheers,

Wes


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## Big Red (18 Feb 2007)

Neither the baking sheet IED or EFP are new to Iraq, they have been around a couple years. Seems like the media is just picking up on them.

They can be easily made locally, a small machine shop can turn out the copper or if that is lacking, steel. In the south many have come from Iran, but the ease of manufacture means that factories are throughout Iraq.  The most common EFP initiator is an infrared device, but even the old school methods are being used again. Often the EFPs are setup to take out specific parts of the vehicle, ie. 2 to the passenger compartment of a humvee and 1 aimed at the turret.

I'd rather drive Irish than most other routes. The amount of traffic on it ensures that the chances of *me* getting hit are exponentially lower than driving around a town as the only MNFI on the road.  The 'Dash for Cash' in it's hayday (up to mid 05) was insanity!


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## Big Red (18 Feb 2007)

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Here we go again.... From the pictures it's no different than the French MICAH F1 (Brit L14-A1) off route mine in both design and function.  Therefore, ahem... NOT AN IED!!  it is not improvised, it is designed and manufactured to function in a certain way... my head hurts... because it goes BOOM doesn't make it an IED.  I can't wait til CNN gets a new buzzword.



The ones in Iraq do not look like that. They are not on stands, they are camoflaged with spray styrofoam and emplaced in curbs, barriers, rocks, dirt, etc and often deployed in arrays.  They do not look like they came from a legit arms factory.  Most guys here would class an EFP as a *type* of IED.


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