Counterterrorism

‘Bomb sniffing drones’ touted as potential new weapon against terror attacks

Researchers, including graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have taken existing technology that can detect chemical and nuclear weapons as well as drugs and successfully reduced it in size to allow it to be fitted on drones.

The technology is similar to that used in security checkpoints at airports to scan luggage. It consists of sensors that look for gamma rays or other particles that show signs of bomb making materials.

The bomb finding drones could be used in combat zones such as Iraq and Syria to help detect roadside bombs or in countries such as Iran to ensure its government is complying with its commitment not to manufacture nuclear weapons.

It could also be used to map valuable mineral deposits or rescue survivors from the rubble of natural disasters such as earthquakes.

Developed in recent months, it will take at least a year for it to reach the market, but those in the military are excited by its potential.