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Combating terrorism through technology
Marshall Billingslea examines how NATO is developing technology to counter increasingly sophisticated terrorism.
Terrorist target: NATO is examining how technologies
such as air bags and
flak-resistant seats can be built
into existing and future rotary-wing
aircraft (© US DoD )
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The destructive capacity of terrorist groups is growing steadily as terrorists prove themselves adept at using modern technology for their own ends. In response, NATO Allies are working together to develop new and improved technologies to combat this increasingly sophisticated threat.
The attacks against the United States of 11 September
2001 are a horrific example of how modern technology - commercial
aircraft hijacked and turned into cruise missiles - could
be used for terrorist purposes. Using the internet,
terrorists have also developed sophisticated and versatile
communication techniques. And they have demonstrated
the expertise to fabricate explosive devices out of
a wide range of objects - from mobile phones to doorbells - and
materials - from military explosives to commercial
dynamite to improvised fertiliser mixes. Moreover,
they have the ability to fashion highly sophisticated
chemical explosives into every-day items.
Of even greater concern is the interest of these groups in chemical and biological weapons, as well as in radiological (and presumably) nuclear devices. The leaders of terrorist organisations have been explicit in their desire to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction. This is clearly of serious concern and a threat to all nations.
At the Istanbul Summit, in addition to other decisions
taken to enhance the Alliance's capabilities against
terrorism, NATO leaders formally endorsed a Programme
of Work for Defence against Terrorism.
This Programme was launched by NATO's National Armaments
Directors, who formally meet twice a year in a group
known as the Conference of National Armaments Directors
or CNAD, and is aimed
at leveraging national expertise and research programmes
to develop new and improved technologies to combat
terrorism.
The Programme of Work for Defence against Terrorism is, in the first stages, focused on developing nine systems to help prevent specific forms of terrorist attack and to give militaries new, cutting-edge technologies to detect, disrupt and pursue terrorists.
Specifically, the initiative will lead to better
ways for NATO militaries to prevent terrorist explosive
devices - such as car bombs and roadside bombs - from
functioning as intended, and to help find the bombs
and the bomb-makers; improve the ability of bomb
technicians to dispose of explosives, and to deal
with the effects of a bomb attack; protect aircraft
from shoulder-fired missiles; protect helicopters
from rocket-propelled grenades; protect harbours
and ships from explosive-packed speedboats and
underwater divers; improve protection against chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear weapons; airdrop
special operations forces and their equipment with
precision; conduct intelligence, reconnaissance,
surveillance and target acquisition of terrorists; and
counter mortar attacks.
To lead this effort, NATO has appointed a Counter-Terrorism
Technology Coordinator to work for the Chairman
of the CNAD and to oversee the work of a team of specialists
from several NATO countries.
The main groups of the CNAD - the Air Force, Navy,
and Army Armaments Groups; the NATO Research & Technology
Organisation; and the NATO Industrial Advisory
Group - are the driving force behind the programme.
Countering improvised explosive devices
Improvised explosive devices, or homemade bombs, are
the current weapon of choice for terrorists and greatest
cause of casualties among Allied forces and civilian
populations in terrorist attacks. These weapons are
deployed and employed using a wide range of means and
techniques, including car and truck-bombs, roadside
bombs and suicide bomber belts and jackets.
To address this threat, NATO is developing a detailed
understanding of how terrorists construct and use
these devices and the blast effects of each type.
Once we know the variety of ways in which terrorists
are able to manufacture these weapons, we will
begin devising a variety of technologies to cause
the bombs to malfunction as well as techniques
to "sniff out" places where these bombs are manufactured
and hidden. Spain has taken the lead within the
CNAD in devising new techniques and capabilities
in this area, and a major industrial effort has
already begun.
Explosive ordnance disposal
Stockpiles of ordnance and unexploded munitions
have frequently proved to be sources of weaponry
for terrorist groups. In Iraq, for instance, the
most frequent type of roadside bomb is the so-called "daisy chain" of
artillery shells wired to one another by a single
detonator cord. With US support, NATO is establishing
a database documenting all kinds of unexploded
ordnance found in key theatres of operation. This
database will be a key enabler for bomb technicians
who must decide how to dismantle terrorist bombs.
In addition, under Norwegian and Slovak leadership,
Allied bomb technicians will gather to discuss
what new technologies, including robotics, new
lightweight fibres and digital enablers, can improve
protective gear and enhance dismantling capabilities and what standards should be established to help raise the Alliance's collective level of expertise.
Protection of aircraft against shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles
Al Qaida and affiliated groups have acquired and used man-portable, surface-to-air missiles, so-called MANPADS, to carry out a number of attacks, both successful and unsuccessful, on military and civilian aircraft. These include the failed attacks in Kenya against El Al flights
in 2002, as well as successful strikes on military
and commercial aircraft in Iraq. NATO experts are
now conducting a rigorous testing and analysis
programme to determine how missile seekers acquire
and track their targeted aircraft. With this knowledge,
it will be possible to optimise defensive systems
to confuse, defeat, and destroy incoming missiles.
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| NATO's Programme of Work for Defence against Terrorism is developing systems to give militaries new, cutting-edge technologies to detect, disrupt and pursue terrorists |
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It is also possible to provide further protection to
aircraft using a variety of non-technological means.
A number of procedural counter-measures can be employed by both military
and civil aviation communities,
such as flight simulator time for pilots to train them
how to deal with sudden engine loss. Through a combination of technical
and non-technical
methods, therefore, NATO intends to provide additional
layers of protection for large, slow-moving aircraft against the shoulder-fired
missile threat.
A testing programme is ongoing and more field trials
are scheduled for 2005.
Protection of helicopters from rocket-propelled grenades
Attacks on helicopters by rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs)
and small arms fire have caused many casualties in recent
conflicts. In response, NATO has begun developing packages
to address self-protection and threat detection for helicopters,
as well as means of countering these threats. NATO is
now examining how technologies such as air bags and flak-resistant
seats as well as RPG-resistant coatings and materials
that were originally designed for armoured personnel
carriers, can be built into existing and future rotary-wing
aircraft. A partnership with industry has already been
launched to refine these ideas.
Protection of harbours and ports
Since the efficient functioning of ports and harbours
is fundamental to the global economy, it is essential
that they be made as secure as possible. Terrorists have
demonstrated the capacity to plan and execute sophisticated
attacks against warships such as the USS Cole off Yemen
in 2000, commercial vessels such as the French oil tanker Limburgh also
off Yemen in 2002, and against port facilities such as
the oil pipelines near Basra, Iraq. Further planned attacks
have been successfully disrupted by NATO nations. Indeed,
as a consequence of one foiled plot, NATO is now escorting
merchant shipping through the Straits of Gibraltar as
part of Operation Active Endeavour, the Alliance's
mission to disrupt, deter and defend against terrorist
activity in the Mediterranean.
Under Italian leadership and with the benefit of decades
of expertise from NATO's Underwater Research Centre in
La Spezia, Italy, the Alliance is conducting a variety
of sea trials using new, cutting-edge technologies. The
NATO programme is, for example, looking into the feasibility
of creating surface and subsurface sensor nets capable
of detecting and disabling terrorists, and is creating
a new mechanism for underwater mine clearance that will
exponentially speed up what is currently a lengthy, manpower-intensive
process. NATO is also exploring innovative technologies
to disable incoming speedboat engines, and is developing
new procedures to improve the defensive capacity of warships
against surface attack. A variety of trials have been
held in 2004 in Italy and the Netherlands and more are
planned for 2005.
Detection, protection and defeat of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons
The 1995 attack on the Tokyo subway by the Aum Shinrikyo sect
in which sarin gas was used remains a deeply disturbing
example of the ability of terrorist groups to develop
and employ chemical, and possibly biological, nuclear
and radiological weapons. Al-Qaida documents
recovered in Afghanistan and other information obtained
by NATO governments point to a rudimentary but evolving
terrorist capability to use weapons of mass destruction
in future attacks. Indeed, evidence has been found of
a testing programme using cyanide compounds as well as
the development of crude procedures for producing mustard
gas, sarin, and VX nerve agents. Already, several small-scale
toxin attacks in Europe by groups linked to al Qaida have
been thwarted, and there has been concern over the desire
of terrorists to conduct a radiological dispersal attack
in North America.
In support of the NATO Multinational CBRN Defence Battalion,
the Alliance's armaments community is developing the
capabilities to detect, protect against, and manage the
hazards caused by the release of CBRN agents. Allies
have drafted documents setting out common doctrine, procedures
and equipment standards for protection against these
weapons and for decontamination after an attack. Moreover,
the Alliance has developed a water-based decontaminator
that is now being tested in NATO nations. Research is
also being carried out to develop technologies for the
remote detection of the presence of these deadly substances.
And further work is planned on military capabilities
to defeat such weapons when encountered in the field.
Precision airdrop technology for special operations forces
Terrorists frequently seek sanctuary in remote locations
where they believe it will be harder for NATO militaries
and security services to operate. The actions undertaken
against al Qaida in Afghanistan have demonstrated
that Allied special operations forces already have a long reach.
That said, precision insertion of men, equipment, supplies,
and weapons in all weather conditions, at both extremely
high and low altitudes, under a variety of circumstances,
is a critical military capability that is difficult to
achieve.
In a demanding environment such as Afghanistan, where
transportation infrastructure is limited, the ability
to insert special operations forces, and to keep them
resupplied with pinpoint-accuracy airdrops, can prove
crucial. As
a result, the Allies are working together to develop
a range of technologies and systems to ensure that no
place, no matter how remote, can be a safe haven for
terrorists. The first such trial is scheduled for spring
2005, with the active participation of several NATO and
non-NATO nations.
Intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition of terrorists
Anonymity and the ability to launch attacks at a time
and place of their choosing are tactical advantages utilised
by terrorists. NATO is working on reducing or eliminating
those advantages. A variety of new sensors and detection
systems are being examined, and new software, computer
models and analytical tools are being considered for
use - all with the goal of giving Allied governments the capacity to identify the terrorist no matter how hard he or she tries to blend in to society, to track him or her, and to take the necessary actions to remove the threat.
In addition to a variety of technological measures that
are being explored, the NATO Research & Technology Organisation and the NATO Science Committee are jointly exploring crucial areas in the behavioural sciences, such as "human factors analysis" and the psychological aspects of terrorism. A recently concluded symposium involving global experts on suicide bombers identified a number of key recommendations that NATO is now examining with a view to implementing them rapidly.
Countering mortar attacks
Terrorist organisations have proven able to attack both
civilian and military targets using rockets and mortars.
As a result, NATO launched a
Countering Improvised Mortars Programme and added it to the
Programme of Work for Defence Against Terrorism in October 2004. This
effort is aimed at providing NATO with equipment, such as locating radar
and laser technologies, necessary to detect mortar firing positions
automatically and to be able to act with sufficient speed and accuracy to
return fire effectively. The acquisition of such capabilities will enable
NATO to provide effective protection to its own troops and other potential
targets. The Netherlands will act as lead nation in this area.
This groundbreaking initiative and the entire Programme of Work for Defence
against Terrorism is
important for the protection of both NATO militaries
and civilian populations and infrastructure. As we work
to develop better ways of arming and equipping Allied
forces to disrupt and destroy terrorist networks and
to thwart planned terrorist attacks, NATO's armaments
community is playing an increasingly important role in
the fight against terrorism. The Programme's broad scope
will also contribute to the stability and security of
the international community and strengthen links with
non-NATO bodies such as European Union, the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United
Nations.
Marshall Billingslea is Assistant Secretary General of NATO's Defence Investment Division and Chairman of both NATO's CNAD and the NC3 Board.
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