Signature recognition can be a valuable tool for identifying types of ordnance emplaced, clearing ordnance and enhancing mine-risk education. Additionally, it aids medical professionals in determining the cause of injury and can identify illegal ordnance use. While signature recognition is already a major component of explosive-ordnance-disposal training, it can also provide substantial benefits for local communities affected by landmines

King, Colin

English

James Madison University

Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 14 Issue 1 The Journal of ERW and Mine Action Article 16 April 2010 Signature Recognition: Reading the Signs of Explosive Ordnance Colin King C King Associates, Ltd. Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal  Part of the Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Recommended Citation King, Colin (2010) "Signature Recognition: Reading the Signs of Explosive Ordnance," The Journal of ERW and Mine Action : Vol. 14 : Iss. 1 , Article 16. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol14/iss1/16 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact dc_admin@jmu.edu. 56         notes from the field | the journal of erW and mine action | spring 2010 | 14.1 14.1 | spring 2010 | the journal of erW and mine action | notes from the field         57Ordnance recognition is a key compo-nent of all EOD training, although some nations focus more on individ-ual items while others stress the characteris-tics of generic groups. Either way, technicians soon learn to identify the more common types of ordnance within their areas of operation, but it takes far longer before they can recog-nize internal components, or the effects they cause. Learning to read the signatures of these munitions can help technicians improve their ordnance-identification skills.Signature Recognition: Reading the     Signs of Explosive Ordnance by Colin King [ C King Associates, Ltd. ]Signature recognition can be a valuable tool for identifying types of ordnance em-placed, clearing ordnance and enhancing mine-risk education. Additionally, it aids medical professionals in determining the cause of injury and can identify illegal ordnance use. While signature recognition is already a major component of explosive-ordnance-disposal training, it can also provide substantial benefits for local communi-ties affected by landmines.  A signature can be either the primary char-acteristic of an item of ordnance or the second-ary effect it creates that allows detecting devices to identify its presence or type. The potential value of signature recognition is enormous, ranging from the identification of hazard-ous areas contaminated with ordnance to es-tablishing the cause of injury during accident investigation. The ability to identify specific types of ordnance is often crucial to the selec-tion of appropriate equipment and techniques for post-conflict ordnance clearance and may Characteristic safety caps and pins indicate the nearby presence of Belgian M409 anti-personnel mines in Chad.ALL PHOtOs COuRtesy Of tHe AutHORalso provide evidence of embargo-breaking or illegal use. With in-tense media interest in the conduct of modern warfare—particularly the excessive use of military force—it can also help to explain events and curb misguided speculation. Signature recognition is an im-portant skill, yet one that tends to be neglected.Types of SignaturesOrdnance signatures fall into two categories: The primary indicators are components of the weapon sys-tem itself, with secondary effects be-ing created in the target area upon initiation. Some primary indicators may be present even before the ord-nance functions, as in the case of a minefield. Here, items such as pack-aging, instructions and safety devic-es can indicate not only that mines have been laid nearby but also iden-tify the specific types used.Once an item of ordnance has functioned, components generally remain in and around the point of initiation. There is a common mis-conception that everything close to the detonation of high explosive is vaporized; there are even trained EOD operators—who should know better—that perpetuate this myth. The fact is, other than the energet-ic material itself, very little is actual-ly consumed during detonation, and what remains can provide valuable evidence to those willing and able to read the signs.Secondary effects (those inflict-ed on nearby objects as the ammu-nition functions) include marks on the ground, damage to structures and vehicles, and wounds to people and animals. In many cases, both categories of indicator are present—for example, where a fragment from a warhead strikes an object, inflicts damage and then becomes lodged in its target.The Evidence on OfferDuring World War II, sec-ondary evidence of buried ord-nance was used by EOD personnel to estimate the size, location and sometimes even the type of an un-exploded bomb from the entry hole it left. Equally important was the ability to recognize signs of a “camouflet”—where a bomb had ex-ploded deep underground without leaving a crater. However, while un-exploded bombs continue to feature in modern conflicts, the ability to accurately interpret their signatures is increasingly rare.Mine action is one of the few areas in which the value of signature rec-ognition is recognized, with many organizations teaching people how to spot signs of danger during mine-risk-education programs. Signa-tures are particularly vital to MRE since—unlike many other types of ordnance—mines are unlikely to be seen, but liable to function when en-countered. While communities are taught to identify indicators such as dead animals and abandoned military positions, soldiers and de-miners should be looking for less obvious features, such as discarded safety devices, which may directly identify the type of mine used. Af-ter an incident, there is almost al-ways enough evidence remaining to identify the type of mine responsi-ble, and even fragments recovered from the wounds of mine victims have been used for this purpose.Similar skills have evolved for the location and identification of cluster weapons and their submunitions. These capabilities involve recog-nizing parts of the delivery system (bomb, cargo projectile or rocket casing), submunition and other pay-load components (such as ribbons and spacers) and impact marks.entry holes from unexploded bombs were recognized as an important source of in-formation by World War II eOD personnel.1King: Signature Recognition: Reading the Signs of Explosive OrdnancePublished by JMU Scholarly Commons, 201058         notes from the field | the journal of erW and mine action | spring 2010 | 14.1 14.1 | spring 2010 | the journal of erW and mine action | notes from the field         59Almost anyone can be shown how to differentiate between the strike marks left by a shaped charge, a frag-mentation warhead and a blast weap-on; from there, a broader knowledge base is built from witnessing the ef-fects of different warhead sizes and configurations on a range of mate-rials. With experience and training, the smallest ammunition compo-nents can further aid identification through their characteristic shape, markings or color—the shade of ol-ive green alone is often enough to indicate the country of origin. As the operators expand and combine these elements of signature recogni-tion, they should develop the ability to “read” a scene and understand the implications.Recent ExamplesA succession of recent conflicts has illustrated the importance of correct ordnance identification and the location of contaminated areas.After the first Gulf War, the clear-ance of Rockeye and other bomblets from soft sand became one of the more hazardous EOD tasks. Char-acteristic signatures on road surfac-es not only revealed the presence of strikes, but the fragmentation pat-tern could also show the direction of the attack; this clue gave a good indication of which adjacent areas were likely to be contaminated.In Lebanon, where there was ex-tensive use of dual-purpose bomb-lets, there was initial confusion over the types of submunitions found and their origins. Some in-corporated a self-destruct feature, which had important implications for both clearance procedures and ongoing studies into the reliabili-ty of these submunitions. EOD op-erators and analysts soon became adept at identifying the various types from the smallest component variations; meanwhile, signatures such as internal packing, stabilizing ribbons and projectile base-bleed units provided vital indications of cluster strikes to both local commu-nities and survey teams.In Georgia, during the Oslo Pro-cess negotiations to secure a ban on cluster munitions, there was in-tense interest in whether bomblets had been deployed during the 2008 empty base-bleed units from cargo projectiles were a clear indication of submunition strikes in Lebanon.conflict with Russia and, if so, by which party. A number of compo-nents and partially functioned mu-nitions helped to build a picture that revealed they had indeed been used, including types about which little was known. Analysis also re-vealed important inconsistencies, where components from different, and sometimes unrelated, systems had been assembled for photographs as “evidence” of misuse. While mis-use may have taken place, it was not of the type suggested by the images.Similar images emerged during the recent Israeli invasion of Gaza, as the media documented a num-ber of tragic incidents involving civilians. Some were determined to prove that sinister weapons, such as Dense Inert Metal Explosive and thermobaric (enhanced blast) types, were being used. In several cases, analyses of strike signatures, wound characteristics and fragmentation allowed the munitions to be identi-fied as anti-tank missiles with “con-ventional” high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT)/fragmentation warheads. In one instance, several separate definitive indicators had to be ex-plained to a television network be-fore it reluctantly agreed to abandon the sensational story it had planned.What’s Missing?The absence of an indicator can also provide important informa-tion, usually by eliminating an op-tion. For example, a fragmentation warhead will inevitably leave marks on nearby exposed surfaces when it detonates; clearly, if there are no marks, then the weapon did not in-corporate a fragmentation effect. However, such inferences require care—and sometimes a little lateral thinking—to avoid mistaken con-clusions. Is it possible that the frag-ments were caught by something, or someone, no longer present at the scene, or were so directional that they missed some nearby sur-faces? Explosive events can be com-plex and unpredictable, and bizarre coincidences do occur. In a school building in Kosovo, the base of a tank projectile was lodged in a hole that showed clear signs of detona-tion—yet the shell was live—sug-gesting that it had been fired into the hole left by a previous round.The speculation in Gaza was fueled by reports from experienced surgeons who claimed that they had never seen wound characteris-tics like these before1; however, de-spite the horrific and unusual nature of some injuries, these casualties were the victims of “conventional” warheads, and it was the absence of signatures that most effectively countered the conjecture.2 In one case, the undisturbed and undam-aged condition of corrugated iron roofing sheets near the point of det-onation eliminated any possibility that a thermobaric weapon had been used; in another, claims that some weapons incorporated DIME war-heads were quashed when forensic examination showed no indication of heavy metals, such as tungsten.ConclusionAll too often we hear of accidents, disasters and tragedies in everyday life where hindsight shows us that the signs were there, but nobody recognized them at the time. Police inquiries eliminate a suspect that later turns out to be the perpetra-tor or engineers overlook a flaw that leads to catastrophic failure. EOD operators are skilled technicians in a highly specialized and dangerous environment in which comprehen-sive information can be vital. Much of it is readily available, if only we can read the signs. See Endnotes, Page 82Reproduced with permission from IHS (Global) Limited–Jane’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal, 2009–2010.Colin King served 14 years in the British Army, mostly in EOD, including operations in the Falklands, Gulf, Bosnia and Kosovo; he also led the first British team to train Afghan deminers. He worked as a British EOD School instructor and an EOD intelligence analyst before his fi-nal tour with the Gurkhas and starting his EOD consultancy. He is currently in-volved in mine clearance on the Falkland-Malvinas Islands, leading studies into the effects of aging on mines, and pro-viding assistance to regional cluster-munition stockpile-destruction pro-grams. King also writes two reference yearbooks, Mines and Mine Clear-ance and Explosive Ordnance Dispos-al, for Jane’s Information Group.Colin King  C King Associates, Ltd.  Tel: +44 1342 826 363  E-mail: ck@ckingassociates.co.uk  Web site: www.ckingassociates.co.uk2Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 14, Iss. 1 [2010], Art. 16https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol14/iss1/16

Signature Recognition: Reading the Signs of Explosive Ordnance

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Signature Recognition: Reading the Signs of Explosive Ordnance

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