Improvised Explosive Devices research
AOAV is one of the few charities that has a particular research focus on Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Please find below our research on a weapon that causes more death and injury than any other explosive weapon group.
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IEDs: past, present and future
In the last decade 171,732 people were harmed by IEDs - some 48% of all people killed or injured by explosive weapons globally. This paper sets out to give historic and current context to the IED's spread.
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Why are IEDs so prolific today?
The reasons for the resurgence of IEDs are multiple, intertwined and overlapping. Here, Dr Louise Tumchewics outlines why there has been a global surge in IED use in the last decade.
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The history of the IED explained
The history of IEDs is woven together not just with the military or revolutionary use of explosives, but with a history of human ingenuity. This paper explains how the IED has evolved over time.
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A short history of suicide bombing
AOAV traces the origins and deadly impacts of suicide bombings around the world
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A review of international, regional and bilateral initiatives that aim to provide counter-IED assistance
A review of major initiatives that span borders to try to combat the spread of Improvised Explosive Devices
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‘Material Harm’ – a review of IED components and measures to prevent their spread
AOAV looks at the primary components of an IED, analysing the global transfer of materials and attempts to regulate them.
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‘Tracking IED harm’ – Monitoring Improvised Explosive Device use
AOAV's report considers 18 organisations collecting data on IED harm, highlighting limitations and good practice examples, with a case study on UNAMA in Afghanistan.
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‘If I’d known that man I couldn’t have hurt him’: how Northern Ireland offers lessons on tackling IEDs
A former IRA member and the daughter of one of his victims talk about their experiences and offer a clue for future success in combatting IEDs.
Between October 2010 and the end September 2020, there have been 28,729 incidents of explosive violence, resulting in 357,619 casualties (263,487 civilians) recorded in English language media worldwide. Of these, 171,732 people were recorded as being from IEDs – a number that includes both civilians and armed actors. 48% of all people killed or injured by explosive weapons globally, then, were harmed by IEDs.
AOAV’s key IED reports include: IEDs: past, present and future (pdf); Addressing the threat posed by IEDs (pdf); Understanding the rising cult of the suicide bomber (pdf); Understanding the regional and transnational networks that facilitate IED use; Tracking IED Harm (pdf); Anatomy of a Suicide Bombing (pdf); Material Harm (pdf); and Blood on the Streets of Boston (pdf).
