What is this soldier holding in his hand?

[seba1976 98]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/8002914724/in/photostream

What is this soldier holding in his hand? I've seen that gear in many pictures and I wonder what is it.

TIA.

[Smurf 12]

EDIT:

Jammer's antenna - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_III

http://www.marcorsyscom.usmc.mil/sites/cins/USMC%20CREW/USMC%20CREW%20DISMOUNTED/THOR_III.html

http://blog.jammer-store.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/american-soldier-with-jammer-backpack.jpg >100kb

Edited September 19, 2012 by Smurf

[seba1976 98]

Thanks Smurf. Any data about how effective it is? I wonder why the british don't use it.

[bobario 10]

Thanks Smurf. Any data about how effective it is? I wonder why the british don't use it.

Actually, I think we (the British) invented it to use in Northern Ireland. It is very effective in scrambling signals sent to remote controlled bombs. Obviously it is no use against timed or wired explosives.

[seba1976 98]

Ah, well then. Do you know if British soldiers are using it in Afghanistan? I've watched the Ross Kemp series and the newer Royal Marines one, and I haven't spotted anyone carrying one.

[dale 11]

The most likely reasons are that A). its been upgraded so its changed its shape so its unrecognisable compared to the old one (pretty obvious tbh), B). they dont use it anymore as it violates some kind of law or right (for locals) or C). terrorists arent using cellphones anymore as we know that tactic so they are using something different so this piece of kit is obsolete.

Any other reasons I cant think of unless I stretch a bit.

[da12thMonkey 1943]

Ah, well then. Do you know if British soldiers are using it in Afghanistan? I've watched the Ross Kemp series and the newer Royal Marines one, and I haven't spotted anyone carrying one.

We use a different system, developed in the UK.

It operates on the same principles as the THOR system with different sets for Low/Mid/Hi Frequency signals (because THOR is more or less copying the concept that the UK developed), but obviously has different packs, antennas and actual sets compared to the US model - You will actually have seen the systems we use many times, but probably just thought it's a radio pack from looking at it, because the antennas aren't as eye-catching as some of those that THOR uses... plus you're probably not going to get anybody from the armed forces to point out for you which sets are radios and which sets are ECM - OPSEC and all that.

Edited November 19, 2012 by da12thMonkey

[seba1976 98]

Thanks, both of you.

Do you know, by any chance, what is the insurgency using nowadays to detonate the IEDs, if not cell phones? It looks all very precarious around those areas to have more complex systems, and I've heard that question sometimes.

[da12thMonkey 1943]

It's not something I'd know for certain. In spite of the ECM equipment that's been developed to counter them, I'm sure there are still plenty of radio, microwave and IR frequency IEDs around in addition to other things like pressure-plate and command-wire detonated IEDs. We still fit loads of ECM kit on vehicles, and blokes still have to carry those heavy-ass manpacked sets; so the threat obviously hasn't disappeared.

I know the Taliban's PPIEDs have gotten quite sophisticated; using components with low metal content for the trigger mechanisms and actual content of the bombs so they're harder to find with detection equipment. These sorts of devices are apparently becoming more common among insurgencies outside of Afghanistan as well, so perhaps they're deemed the most favourable method of triggering a device.