Blurry Equipment in Ross Kemp Documentary

[budgie]

Sorry don't have a pic, but here's the deal:

Was watching Ross Kemp: Return to Afghanistan, Episodes 4 and 5. In some scenes with the Royal Marines there's a piece of gear, possibly rifle or other long-barrel weapon that was blurred out post-production. Saw it lying on the ground and a couple of times carried on a soldier's body. Any idea what that was or why it would be 'classified'?

[Vince S]

If memory serves me right, they said it was something to detect IED/mines and that was all

[budgie]

Cheers. I need it for my 'blurry gear' loadout.

[Marsuitor]

Any idea what that was or why it would be 'classified'?
It's a metal detector, but to be honest i don't really see why the UK MoD and/or the Royal Marines unit in question would make an issue and demand the item blurred out, as the item in question is more or less completely off-the-shelf hardware from a well-known manufacturer of this sort of kit, and not some groundbreaking new item that does it's job so much different and better from all the rest. The MoD might have wanted it blurred out just to be on the safe side in regards to any better or worse capabilities it might have compared to other manportable metal detectors in the UK inventory, but IMHO this is more a case of "better safe than sorry" rather than an actual need to maintain information- and operational security.

Having said this, i'm not going to give the name and model number of this detector here out of respect to whoever in the UK or Kajaki that didn't want Ross Kemp showing it on TV.

[budgie]

That's fine just curious. At first I thought it might be some kind of laser but then realized that was silly: how would they get the shark up there in the first place?