NATO commander seeks anti-IED technology

BRUSSELS, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- The top commander of NATO said Wednesday the alliance needs complex technology to deter the effectiveness of improvised explosive devices.

U.S. Marine Gen. James Mattis, also the commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command, told a delegation in Brussels that NATO needs the capability to detonate IEDs before insurgents are able to attack military forces.

"We need to find a way not to allow the enemy to choose the time and place of detonation," he said.

He warned of the difficulties in employing this technology, saying several scientists said employing the appropriate signal jammers and shifts in military doctrine could be "more difficult than going to the moon."

Mattis, who served as the commander of the I Marine Expeditionary Force, said the current threat environment was difficult to assess, placing an additional level of burden on strategic doctrine.

"Winning a war is not going to be about a new tank or a new airplane but about how to enable human activities," he said.