Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq get smarter

This is a photo of a device after it had been exploded, by controlled explosion. The circuitry, most of which seems glued not soldered incorporates an opto-isolation device. These units using the readily available mobile phones (no land lines due to destruction by bombing in invasion) which contractors and Army use are difficult to jam. They have been able to cascade devices by getting one phone to call another etc., Units made in Iraq are said to turn up in Afghanistan.

So far, the strongest push to silence the bombs has come from the Army, which has ordered thousands of radio-frequency jammers from Simi Valley, California, firm EDO Communications & Countermeasures. The devices, called Warlock Green and Warlock Red, intercept "the signal sent from a remote location to the IED instructing it to detonate," an Army official told military newsletter Inside Defense. The signal "cannot make contact, therefore when it can't make contact it doesn't detonate," he added. "(It's like) the cell phone never gets through, but (enemy forces) think it goes through."

On 18 December 2003 EDO Communication and Countermeasures, Simi, Valley, Calif., was awarded on Dec. 17, 2003, a $15,923,908 firm-fixed-price contract for 167 Warlock Greens and 1000 Warlock Reds for Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-04-C-L001).

On 01 March 2004 EDO Communication and Countermeasures, Simi Valley, Calif., was awarded on Feb. 27, 2004, a $6,753,000 increment as part of a $45,287,633 firm-fixed-price contract for 132 Warlock Green electronic countermeasure devices. Work will be performed in Simi Valley, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-04-C-L001).

On 30 November 2004 EDO Communications and Countermeasures, Westlake Village, Calif., was awarded on Nov. 29, 2004, a $7,911,400 modification to a firm fixed price contract for 100 Warlock Green and 500 Warlock Red Electronic Countermeasure Devices. Work will be performed in Simi Valley, Calif., and is expected to be completed by May 30, 2005. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-04-C-L001).

Thats $28Mn (ish) for 1,500(ish) devices.