IMPROVISED Explosive Devices, more commonly referred to as just lEDs, are the subject of a new exhibition, Unseen Enemy, at the National Army Museum, London. An IED is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. Such devices may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery round, attached to a detonating mechanism. Roadside bombs are a common use of lEDs. The term Improvised Explosive Device is reputed to have first been used by the British Army in the 1970s, after the IRA used bombs made from agricultural fertilizer and explosives (predominantly Semtex supplied by Libya) to make highly effective booby trap devices or remote-controlled bombs. However, it is the widespread use of lEDs by insurgents in Afghanistan that has seen the term gain public awareness. Developed with unprecedented access to individuals from the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, Unseen Enemy will follow the journey from the context and creation of lEDs to their consequences. Including a range of the equipment used in detecting and disarming devices such as bombsuits and robots, the exhibition is divided into three key sections.
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