1

United States Central Command

NATO C-IED BRIEF

JUNE 2016

LCDR Matthew Coombs

CIED Branch Chief

Derived from: Multiple Sources

Reason: 1.4(c)

Declassify on: 21 June 2026

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

2

Agenda

• Perspective: CENTCOM IED Trends/ Key Observations

• ISIL Remote Control Model Aircraft (RCMA)

• Examples of VBIED’s

• Offensive/ Defensive IED Belts

• CENTCOM C-IED Concerns

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

3

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

Country % Change

IRAQ h 5,537 86%

TURKEY h 616 1,311%

EGYPT h 57 14%

INDIA h 55 13%

Incidents

Incidents Casualties

2 1 IRAQ 12,002 34,936

1 2 AFGHANISTAN 6,934 11,347

4 3 SYRIA 3,530 6,073

3 4 COLOMBIA 1,987 376

20 5 TURKEY 663 2,110

6 6 INDIA 490 319

7 7 EGYPT 454 1,043

5 8 PAKISTAN 453 1,538

8 9 SOMALIA 272 820

10 10 PHILIPPINES 266 323

Previous

Ranking

Current

RankingCountry

Apr 2015-Mar 2016Key Trends

• Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan remain the top IED hotspots;

• Turkey and Iraq have recorded significant increases from

last year where Turkey recorded an increase of 1,311%

Top 10 IED Countries

Increasing Activity

Global IED Trends and Key Observations 1 Apr 2015 – 31 Mar 2016 compared to the previous 12 month period

Most Significant Increases in

Top 10 IED Countries

29,084 incidents

IED Incidents Casualties

23% 21%

67,258 casualties

(U//FOUO)Afghanistan and Iraq account for 79% of IED incidents and

82% of IED casualties within CENTCOM

Overwhelming majority of ISIL’s IED’s are

made from Homemade Explosive (HME).

IED’s remain the weapon of choice for

terrorists, insurgents, and criminals.

Incidents Casualties Incidents Casualties

1 IRAQ 6,465 24,947 12,002 34,936 h 5,537 86% 9,989 40% h

2 AFGHANISTAN 10,071 13,136 6,934 11,347 i -3,137 -31% -1,789 -14% i

3 SYRIA 979 3,521 3,530 6,073 h 2,551 261% 2,552 72% h

4 EGYPT 397 643 454 1,043 h 57 14% 400 62% h

5 PAKISTAN 537 2,535 453 1,538 i -84 -16% -997 -39% i

6 YEMEN 158 1,716 94 975 i -64 -41% -741 -43% i

7 LEBANON 55 243 25 340 i -30 -55% 97 40% h

8 SAUDI ARABIA 2 2 9 203 h 7 350% 201 10,050% h

9 KUWAIT 1 0 4 37 h 3 300% 37 h

10 IRAN 4 8 2 12 i -2 -50% 4 50% h

18,686 46,870 23,514 56,508 h 4,828 26% 9,638 21% h

Top Countries by Total Incidents (01 Apr 2015-31 Mar 2016)

USCENTCOM

RankApr 2014-Mar 2015

Incidents

Δ

CasualtiesCountry

Apr 2015-Mar 2016

4

ISIL Remote Control Vehicle/Aircraft

Employment

(U) ISIL RCMA use unspecified drone footage

for attack planning MAY16

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

(U) ISIL developed mannequins, in an attempt to trick checkpoints for remote-controlled VBIEDs

Mannequin wrapped in tape

(U) ISIL RCMA captured

ISIL’s unconventional use of Remote Control vehicles/aircraft.

Commercial RCMA technologies are anticipated to improve.

5

Armored VBIED’s

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

ISIL’s use of the Up-Armored VBIED’s as a precision weapon system

6

Offensive/ Defensive IED Belts

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

ISIL’s utilization of IED belts in an Offensive and Defensive tactical manner

- Armored Dozer

7

Top Concerns/ Current Threat

(U) Key Takeaways:

• (U//FOUO) Tunneling is prevalent globally and lends

itself to adaptation by various groups.

• (U//FOUO) Observed tunnels range in length from

15m -1.5km and take anywhere from 30 days to nine

months to dig, dependent on length and soil

composition.

• (U//FOUO) Urban terrain, such as Baghdad, presents

existing underground access without the need to

actually dig a tunnel.

N

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

8

• REPORTING – REPORTING – REPORTING

• C-IED EXPLOITATION/ COMMUNICATION

– DRIVES TARGETING

– DRIVES UNDERSTANDING OF TTPS AND THREAT (C-UAS, MVBIED, TUNNELS,

HBIED, MAIED, IMPROVISED MORTARs)

– DRIVES UPDATES TO EQUIPMENT (CREW, ISR, ROBOTICs, ETC)

• INFORMATION SHARING ACROSS PARTNERS

– ESSENTIAL CROSS COMBATANT COMMAND THREAT NETWORKS

– ESSENTIAL CROSS COMBATANT COMMAND FLOW OF PRECURSORS AND

COMMERCIAL GRADE EXPLOSIVES (HME Precursors)

• STRATEGIC NARRATIVE – ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE ENEMY

CENTCOM’s C-IED Challenges

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

9

Questions?

9

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

10

10

CENTCOM’s Theater Campaign Plan CIED

Lines of Operation:

• Attack the Network • Defeat the Device • Train the Force • Enable Partner Nation C-IED

Capacity

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

11

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY/REL TO USA, NATO, RSMA

Incidents Casualties Incidents Casualties

1 IRAQ 6,465 24,947 12,002 34,936 h 5,537 86% 9,989 40% h

2 AFGHANISTAN 10,071 13,136 6,934 11,347 i -3,137 -31% -1,789 -14% i

3 SYRIA 979 3,521 3,530 6,073 h 2,551 261% 2,552 72% h

4 EGYPT 397 643 454 1,043 h 57 14% 400 62% h

5 PAKISTAN 537 2,535 453 1,538 i -84 -16% -997 -39% i

6 YEMEN 158 1,716 94 975 i -64 -41% -741 -43% i

7 LEBANON 55 243 25 340 i -30 -55% 97 40% h

8 SAUDI ARABIA 2 2 9 203 h 7 350% 201 10,050% h

9 KUWAIT 1 0 4 37 h 3 300% 37 h

10 IRAN 4 8 2 12 i -2 -50% 4 50% h

18,686 46,870 23,514 56,508 h 4,828 26% 9,638 21% h

Top Countries by Total Incidents (01 Apr 2015-31 Mar 2016)

USCENTCOM

RankApr 2014-Mar 2015

Incidents

Δ

CasualtiesCountry

Apr 2015-Mar 2016

368

1,0851,479

1,186

2,956

192

197

302519

660

169

163

355 395

667

729

1,445

2,136 2,100

4,283

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

Apr11-Mar12

Apr12-Mar13

Apr13-Mar14

Apr14-Mar15

Apr15-Mar16

4,6123,802

2,292 1737 1724

6,642

4,782

1,436

623 491

11,604

8,743

3,821

2,383 2,227

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

Apr11-Mar12

Apr12-Mar13

Apr13-Mar14

Apr14-Mar15

Apr15-Mar16

214 306 774 1563 1152186 110280

372 18812872985

3936 32512526

15582 12723 8711

6059 8058

447680

1407

18803301

17,89917,115

15,700

13,512

15,475

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

Apr11-Mar12

Apr12-Mar13

Apr13-Mar14

Apr14-Mar15

Apr15-Mar16

10,395 11,874

14,194 11,964

14,180

3,311 2,186

1,593

688

1,112

11,188 10,764 8,323

6,034

8,222

24,894 24,824 24,110

18,686

23,514

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Apr11-Mar12

Apr12-Mar13

Apr13-Mar14

Apr14-Mar15

Apr15-Mar16

83% of IED

employment modes

are unknown in the

last year 90% of IED

switch types are

unknown in the

last year

CENTCOM IED Trends Data is for 01 Apr 2015 – 31 Mar 2016 compared to the previous 12 month period

(U//FOUO) Although casualties from IEDs are 21% higher than last year, the number of Casualties per Explosion

remained nearly the same (3.32 casualty per explosion last year and 3.99 in the most recent year)

IED

In

cid

en

ts

IED

In

cid

en

ts

IED

In

cid

en

ts

IED

In

cid

en

ts

Casu

alt

ies

31% of IED targets

are unknown in the

last year

As of: 20160504

Find

Cache

Explosion

Casualties

Civilian

Military

Police

Government

Infrastructure

Other/Misc

Victim Operated

Time

Command

Person-borne

Suicide Vehicle-borne

Vehicle-borne

(U) IED Incidents and

Casualties Overview

(U) Known IED Incidents by

Employment Method (Excluding Unknowns and Cache)

(U) IED Incidents by

Switch Type (Excluding Unknowns and Cache)

(U) IED Target Overview