Bomb sweep: soldiers, marines team up in 'trailblazer' patrols.

• Author: Axe, David
• Position: BATTFIELD TECHNOLOGY

AL TAQADDUM AIR BASE, Western Iraq--The Army and Marine Corps in Iraq are pressing new and adapted systems into service to combat improvised explosive devices. Many of these innovations empower soldiers to tackle the threat without always relying on bomb-disposal specialists.

Armored vehicles originally designed to clear mines are used to sweep roads of bombs. Patrols travel inside the protective bubbles of sophisticated radio jammers that intercept the signals that detonate explosives. And engineers are refining the use of small ground robots to identify and destroy IEDs.

Perhaps the most visible of the ground forces' counter-IED initiatives is the adoption of new vehicles that form the Army and Marines' "trailblazer" forces. Units from both services, usually engineer battalions, are using Buffalo, Husky, Meerkat and Cougar mine-clearing vehicles to daily sweep Iraq's supply routes.

The Buffalo, a six-wheeled modified Mack truck manufactured by Technical Solutions Group of North Charleston, S.C., debuted in Iraq in 2005. The massive vehicles seat two operators and sport a clawed robotic arm on the front left quarter that can extend to probe and spread suspicious debris. The Army has bought more than 50 Buffaloes since 2001. The Marines ordered their first four in September 2005.

The Meerkat and the slightly larger Husky, both built by South African company RSD, are spindly four-wheeled tractors fielded in the late 1990s to tow mine-clearing trailers. In Iraq, they're equipped with x-ray scanners that can detect the metal components of IEDs. Both feature an armored cab for the single operator. In contrast to the Buffalo, which is armored to resist all but the largest bombs, the Meerkat and the Husky are designed to blow apart, essentially roiling with a blast instead of resisting it. The Army purchased its first 10 Meerkats in 1998.

The Cougar is a tall four-wheeled armored truck that is manufactured by General Dynamics. In trailblazer units, Cougar is a tougher replacement for up-armored Humvees. Its crew of three is armed with a turret-mounted .50-caliber machine gun to protect the Buffaloes, Meerkats and Huskies. Some Cougars are equipped with Warlock radio jammers to intercept the signals that detonate IEDs. The Army ordered 148 Cougars in February 2005. The Marines also have purchased the vehicle.

Trailblazer patrols typically include one Buffalo leading the way and four vehicles for security--usually a combination of Cougars and...