Training Device IED – How to make one, and why

…and at a price your budget can actually take.

Ready Made vs Home Made

Training IEDs are an integral part of many security operations these days, and especially those where x-ray operators are a part of the equation. Training checkpoint personnel, vehicle search personnel, x-ray operators and perimeter search personnel without them is, put simply, not a very good idea.

That said, we do understand that a lot of security organizations simply can’t afford to get the more complicated (and useful) kits that are on offer out there. Why? Because they range from about $2,500 to $4,000 for a UVI (Under Vehicle Inspection) kit, and all the way up to $5,500 for a combat kit. We’re not going to shoot for the combat kits here, but we’ll tell you how to assemble an affordable and convincing IED for training your x-ray operators and vehicle inspection crews. With a little time and practice, your kit will be just as good as the “professional” one – at a fraction of the price.

[box type=”red”]Remember: Inert IEDs can get you in a lot of trouble. This article is for TRAINING and EDUCATIONAL purposes only. Improper use of training IEDs can and will land you in jail. We accept no responsibility for the improper use of this information. There is no SSI or classified information included in this article.[/box]

Shopping List

You’re not getting away with a $0 bill here, but we’re going to keep this as short and cheap as possible. Here are all the things you’ll need to build your own inert IEDs, whether they’re for vehicle use, or mail/baggage scanning with x-ray machines.

15 to 30 ounces of Silly putty, play doh or Brain Food Grey Matter ($9 per 5 ounces)
PVC pipe – about $2 for 2 feet of 1″ pipe
Assorted shrapnel – ~350 pcs assorted nails, screws, washers – approx. $10
Galvanized steel pipe. $4 per 24″.
Empty ammo box, ’50 cal. – $30
Assorted “heavy duty” magnets – $15
2 digital wristwatches – $9 each
Roll of speaker wire – $15
Ducktape, 3 rolls – $17

Final sum: approx. $140, with 15 ounces of “explosives” and 4 feet of PVC pipe.

Assembling your IEDs

There’s no end to the configurations you can put together with the kit above. We’re going to give you a few pointers on how to set up a couple of good IEDs that will be fairly easy to spot, but great for training purposes. In addition to the above list, you can integrate an old cellphone or two (can often be found for free at cell phone shops, if you ask nicely & explain your purpose), and other colors of wire if you prefer that to the “clear” speaker cables. You should also get a few used/depleted AAA batteries, and some discarded circuit boards to use as props. Scavenge your company’s electrical waste for this, or ask your IT department.

Here are some popular ideas for useful, inert training IEDs:

Shoe Box training IED

Get a small, empty shoe box. Arrange 10 – 15 ounces of your “explosives” in 1,5 – 2″ thick rectangles in the middle of the box, and secure them with tape. Use 2 AAA batteries to simulate ignition devices, and connect a length of speaker wire to each, connecting the two. Use another few inches of wire to connect the “explosives” and “triggers” to either a discarded cellphone or one of the watches you got, or both.

Secure the contraption with tape, and include “shrapnel” by wrapping a good handful of assorted screws and nails in saran wrap to form a “sausage”, and putting the wrapped shrapnel in between your “explosives”. Secure with tape.

Fill the remainder of the box with balled up old newspapers, and tape it closed. Now, shove it through an x-ray machine, or fasten under a vehicle (find a cool place, no exhause pipes!).

Mix it up: Use PVC pipe inside the box to create some confusion, and an even more sinister look. Place explosives inside the pipe, and wire through a hole or one end of the pipe, to your “trigger” – a cellphone or watch.

Inert Steel Pipe Bomb

Use about 1 foot of steel pipe, and mix your “shrapnel” with the silly putty. Stuff your “explosives in the pipe (you don’t need to fill it), and attach speaker wire to it, with an AAA “igniter”. Wrap the speaker wire around the pipe, and then attach it to your “trigger” – a cell phone or watch, or both. Secure everything, including the ends of the pipe, with ducktape, and place it somewhere creative for your inspection crew to find.

Mix it up: Use several half foot lengths of pipe, and tape them together with a circuit board in the middle. Connect a watch or cell phone to the board with speaker wire, and secure the bundle with tape. This makes for a severely sinister look.

Inert Shoe Bombs

If you’re able to get your hands on a pair of old dress shoes that no one wants, you’re in luck. Making a believable, inert shoe bomb is easy, since all you need to do is to remove the inner sole, exposing the heel of the shoe from the inside.

Remove everything in the heels except the “shell” of the heel, and fill the void, so to speak, with your “explosives”. Add one AAA battery to your “explosives”, and attach some speaker wire. Coil some speaker wire up and put it under the insole, which you’ll then put back on top of the whole setup. The coil of speaker wire (just a couple of inches) will make for a believeable fuse, which a bomber would light once he/she is in the right place.

Remember, when you use this setup, to include both shoes. No one wears only one shoe. Or 3 shoes, for that matter.

Mix it up: Place your dress shoe bomb in a shoe box, along with its twin. Disguise your shoe bomb as a pair of new shoes.

Variations

Like we already said, there’s a lot of room to play around with these things. The important thing to remember is that to make a training device, you’ll need a vessel, your inert explosives, shrapnel and some form of electronics or fuse. And a lot of tape.

Once you’ve got a device you’re happy with, save it for later excercises and training sessions. To mix things up even more, get some cheap, empty and inert shells and grenades off ebay, and use your “explosives” in them as well.

Remember to always keep inert training devices and IEDs in a safe place, and add them to your security equipment inventory, for appropriate tracking, and log who use them. Count all training devices after excercises and training sessions are done, to make sure you’ve got them all safely stashed under lock and key. These things can create serious panic and cost if they’re “let loose” in public.