'Inside-out submarine' for bombs: How Army plans to detect and contain IED threats

The Army has set in motion a sweeping upgrade of its counter-Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and night-fighting capabilities, issuing requests for information, which are expected at a later stage to lead to the procurement of 350 portable stand-off explosive detectors and 13 specialised bomb containment vehicles, as part of a coordinated push to modernise how frontline troops detect, neutralise and operate around explosive threats.IEDs have been used to target security forces in J&K, insurgency-affected areas of the North East and areas affected by Left-wing extremism.The explosive detectors, sought by the Army's Combat Engineers Directorate, are meant to identify trace and vapour residues from military, commercial and improvised explosive materials without requiring direct physical contact.These portable systems are expected to support personnel at checkpoints, critical installations and vehicle inspection points, as well as in field conditions.The devices are expected to give bomb disposal and counter-terror teams a faster, safer way to…