Troops play lethal cat-and-mouse game with roadside bombers

[American Patriot]

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2805628.php


Troops play lethal cat-and-mouse game with roadside bombers

By Denis D. Gray
Associated Press

AS SADAH, Iraq — The convoy rolls through serene, green countryside north of Baghdad on a cool spring morning. Then, 50 yards ahead, an explosion rips the air. A brilliant fireball scores the road.

“That’s it!” shouts the driver, as troops pour out of vehicles, take cover and unleash volleys of machine gun and rifle fire against the suspected attackers.

“That” is an “improvised explosive device,” or IED, the biggest killer and maimer of American troops since the end of formal hostilities a year ago, set by bombers most soldiers regard with a mix of fear, loathing and disdain.

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2805628.php

[SeanAshi]

“That’s it!” shouts the driver, as troops pour out of vehicles, take cover and unleash volleys of machine gun and rifle fire against the suspected attackers.
These command detonated ied's, whats the distance between the ied and the one setting it off?

[American Patriot]

With a cell phone you could be a kilometer away with a spotting scope.

[Gordon]

I'm not an expert, by a long way, but as far as I know there a different ways that an IED can be set off.

One is that the guy setting it off is in the near vicinity and has a physical link to the IED; ie. there is a 'cord' running between him and the IED and he presses the button.

Another would be a 'remote controlled' IED, by which the guy can probably see the IED and presses a button which sets of the IED via a radio frequency.

Another would be a simple timer, but this would need real, real good intelligence about when, whatever the guy wanted to blow up would be going past.

I guess they could also setup some kinda thing, like a trip wire ****y trap of sorts that would set it off when the convoy, or any other vehicle moved across it.

As i said, i don't know what i'm talking about, but this is the genral stuff i've picked up from reading on this site and others.

edit - as to the distance question, that would depend onthe equipment available.