Challenge: Detection of concealed explosives

Challenge Statement

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) seek to improve stand-off detection of concealed explosives in order to mitigate the threat to soldiers operating in high-risk environments.

Background and Context

The evolving nature of the threat posed by concealed explosives, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), presents an ongoing and significant challenge for soldiers in operations. To counter this threat, assorted tactics, tools, and procedures have been implemented, as well as new vehicle designs to disperse the explosive impacts and technical solutions to locate the IEDs. Currently, the CAF uses an Expedient Route Opening Capability which consists of vehicles equipped with Ground Penetrating Radars and metal detectors that are capable of finding roadside and buried IEDs.

However, adversaries have shown themselves to be highly adaptable by using low-cost technologies to develop increasingly sophisticated IEDs and operating in urban environments has proven significantly more challenging due to underground infrastructure and the presence of significant electromagnetic traffic. In light of this evolving nature of the IED threat, new technologies and methods are required to mitigate the risk to soldiers.

Desired Outcomes and Considerations

DND/CAF is looking for novel solutions to increase the distance for stand-off detection of explosives, and to improve the speed at which detection occurs. The desired outcome is a solution for detecting concealed explosives with sufficient warning to allow the CAF to avoid concealed IEDs. (“Concealed” is to be interpreted as an IED device being below the surface level and/or covered such that it is not visible.)

It is desirable that proposed solutions can detect the location of concealed explosives in real-time from a distance of at least five metres with a 95% confidence factor.