Briefing: Explosive action

Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) became a more widespread and official military function during the early 20th century as militaries required expertise for handling the sometimes defective munitions that were mass-produced during the First World War.

Much of the attention paid to explosives on the battlefield is now focused on improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which, although they have been around for years, emerged in the past decade as the primary asymmetric warfare tool employed by insurgents fighting US and coalition forces in Iraq.

IEDs caused the majority of casualties in Iraq, where US operations ceased at the end of 2011, and continue to be the main cause of casualties in Afghanistan.

These devices are used tactically to limit the movement of supply convoys and manoeuvre forces; they are also used strategically to attack iconic targets and demoralise a state's troops and civilian population, as well as to demonstrate insurgent strength.

The use of IEDs is not just local to Iraq and Afghanistan, noted Frank Larkin, vice director of the Pentagon's Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO). "When you look at the over 500 IED events reported each month outside Afghanistan, that's pretty compelling," he said during a 24 January briefing.