New Capability Reduces IED Threat

Hidden away within Multi-National Base Tarin Kot in Uruzgan province, a small team of Australian Defence Force and United States personnel are spearheading a potent new capability reducing the threat from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for the Afghan population and Australian and Coalition troops in Afghanistan. The Weapons Intelligence Team (aka WIT or ‘CSI Tarin Kot’) analyses IED components to enable the ADF and its Coalition partners to determine the best methods of countering the threat. This intelligence allows Australian and Coalition forces to update their tactics, techniques and procedures to counter the threat for troops on the ground. The specialised team within WIT uses techniques akin to a police crime lab on the TV program ‘CSI’ to analyse recovered IED componentry to create the evident for the Afghan justice system to prosecute individuals involved in supplying, creating and laying IEDs against civilians and Coalition troops. This evidence adds to a worldwide database used by police forces, immigration and other officials to help prevent crime.