EXPLOSIVE DEVICE TYPES
Understanding Explosive Devices
Explosive devices come in many forms, ranging from standard military ordnance to improvised devices created in the field. Recognising their types, components, and characteristics is essential for safe handling, disposal, and prevention. This page provides an overview of common device types encountered historically and today.
Standard Military Ordnance (Contemporary)
These are manufactured explosives designed for use in military operations.
Key categories include:
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Projectiles and Air-Delivered Weapon Systems: High-explosive devices designed for long-range delivery, often found in both contemporary and historical conflict zones
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Grenades and projected explosives: Compact devices for close-range tactical use
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Landmines: Buried or concealed explosives triggered by pressure, pressure release, tripwire, or influence sensors
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Mortars and Rockets: Portable explosive projectiles designed for rapid deployment
Historical Ordnance and Legacy Explosive Hazards
Historical ordnance refers to military explosive items manufactured and deployed during past conflicts that remain in the ground, underwater, or within infrastructure today. These items are commonly described as unexploded ordnance (UXO) and continue to present a serious risk long after hostilities have ended.
Large quantities of historical munitions remain globally as a result of former battlefields, training areas, bombing campaigns, and maritime operations. Urban development, construction projects, agriculture, and marine works regularly uncover legacy munitions that were never recovered or failed to function as intended.
Common Types of Historical Ordnance
Typical legacy devices encountered by EOD teams include:
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Aircraft-delivered weapons: High-explosive and fragmentation bombs buried deep in soil or embedded within urban environments
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Artillery and naval projectiles: Fired projectiles that may be encountered on land, coastal areas, and seabeds
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Mortars and rockets: Often found in former training areas or conflict zones
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Hand grenades and small munitions: Frequently recovered during ground works, infrastructure projects, magnet fishing or returned with those who were in a conflict
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Submunitions and bomblets: Remnants of area-effect weapons that can remain scattered over wide locations
Why Historical Ordnance Remains Dangerous
Despite their age, historical explosive devices can remain fully capable of functioning. In many cases:
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Explosive fillings can become chemically unstable over time
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Mechanical and electronic fuzes may be highly sensitive to movement, vibration, or temperature change
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Corrosion and environmental degradation can make devices less predictable and more difficult to assess safely
As a result, legacy ordnance is often considered as hazardous as modern munitions, and in some cases more complex to render safe.
Typical Discovery Environments
Historical ordnance is most commonly discovered during:
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Construction and civil engineering works
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Utility installation and ground remediation
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Agricultural activity
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Port, harbour, and offshore infrastructure projects
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Dredging and seabed survey operations
Both terrestrial and underwater environments continue to present significant UXO risk.
Disposal and Risk Management Considerations
The management of historical explosive hazards relies on specialist assessment and controlled EOD procedures.
Key considerations include:
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Accurate identification and classification of the hazard
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Evaluation of its condition and stability
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Environmental constraints, including proximity to people, buildings, and critical infrastructure
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Selection of appropriate remote handling, disruption, and protective measures for the operator and the general public
Historical ordnance clearance plays a critical role in enabling safe land re-development, environmental remediation, and maritime operations, while protecting both operators and the public from legacy explosive threats.
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)
IEDs are non-standard explosive devices created from commercially available or scavenged materials. They are commonly used in asymmetric conflicts, terrorist attacks, or criminal activity.
Types include:
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Pipe bombs and homemade devices: Simple, low-tech devices made from readily available materials
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Vehicle-borne IEDs (VBIEDs): Explosives concealed in vehicles, capable of causing large-scale damage
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Command-detonated devices: Triggered by radio, wire, or mobile signal, allowing remote activation
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Victim-activated devices: Includes pressure plates, tripwires, and other sensors that detonate when disturbed
Specialised Devices and Components
Certain devices incorporate unique design elements to increase lethality or complicate disposal:
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Booby traps: Designed to target responders or disrupt operations
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Shaped charges: Focus explosive energy to penetrate armour or structures
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Cluster munitions: Release multiple submunitions, often leaving unexploded ordnance behind
Detection and Safety Considerations
Understanding the types of devices, aids in safe detection and neutralisation:
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Visual recognition: Learning shapes, fuzes, and construction details helps identify threats
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Environmental considerations: Devices may be buried, submerged, or camouflaged
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Professional disposal: Only trained EOD operators should attempt neutralisation
RDS Products Can Help Support Safe Handling and Disposal
Handling and disposal of explosive hazards, whether modern or historical, requires precision, expertise, and, of course, the right equipment. The choice of tools can significantly improve operator safety, efficiency, and confidence during EOD operations.
Specialist tools, protective equipment, and disruptor systems help operators manage risks across a variety of scenarios.
For example:
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De-armers and Disruptors allow for the safe neutralisation of explosive hazards from a Step Back or Stand Off position
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Operator toolkits and non-magnetic hand tools support careful handling, inspection, and manipulation of ordnance
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shields operators from potential blast and fragmentation hazards
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ROV-compatible systems extend safety by enabling remote intervention in hazardous or hard-to-reach environments
By combining knowledge of device types with appropriate equipment, operators can work more safely and effectively, while also ensuring compliance with best practices and operational protocols.
