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European militaries share, learn manual defusing of IEDs

The European Defense Agency has conducted a training exercise in defusing improvised explosive devices.

By Richard Tomkins
An IED is exploded in Iraq. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Mark Fayloga)
An IED is exploded in Iraq. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Sgt. Mark Fayloga)

VIENNA, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A two-week training exercise on manually neutralizing improvised explosive devices has been conducted by the European Defense Agency.

EDA said 14 ordnance disposal experts from Austria, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Sweden took part in the intensive Manual Neutralization Exercise, which was held earlier this month at the Austrian Army's Logistics School in Vienna.

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"The aim of the exercise was to give participants the chance to use and develop these (manual neutralization) skills in a highly demanding, multi-national environment," the agency said. "Over the two-week period, they were given a series of different and increasingly complex scenarios and devices to deal with."

Manual neutralization of an IED occurs in situations when standoff measures, using a robot, for example, cannot be used.

The exercise was part of the EDA's Manual Neutralization Techniques Courses and Exercises program and was the second such event held in Austria this year, EDA said.

EDA is an agency of the European Union, running and supporting cooperative European defense projects; supporting research and technology development; boosting the European defence technological and industrial base; and providing a forum for ministries of defense.

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