Unique Government position
The Centre’s position within MOD allows it to gain access to
the wider picture of all CT activities. Scientists and engineers at
the Centre use a “systems” approach to understand how all
the elements of military and security planning fit together. This helps
them to recognise the likely impacts of new S&T capabilities at
each stage. The Centre can engage the right experts to develop solutions
that will fit into the whole process.
Expert staff
The Centre has pulled together some of the finest scientific minds
in the CT field, including staff from Dstl and the Atomic Weapons Establishment
(AWE). These experts have experience in a wide range of disciplines
important to counter-terrorism including: Operational Analysis; Chemical,
Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threat reduction; and explosives,
electronics and network analysis. While the Centre’s initial complement
of staff were recruited from Dstl and AWE, the Centre will increasingly
draw in experts from across Government, industry and academia as work
develops.
Forefront of CT Technology & Research
The Centre will be at the forefront of developing CT technology and
furthering research. A key role is to facilitate the earliest exploitation
of novel CT technology to quickly provide solutions to its customers.
It anticipates S&T knowledge gaps as terrorist threats emerge or
change and whilst maintaining existing strategic capabilities, the Centre
can co-ordinate the development of new capabilities.
An example of the Centre’s work is the development of social
science techniques in an attempt to better understand the workings of
terrorist networks. Experts are encouraged to think more broadly about
the application of current capabilities, for instance, using surveillance
techniques in different ways to detect abnormal behaviour that may be
terrorism related.
It’s not just detecting terrorists themselves that is presenting
the challenge. The increasing threats from terrorist use of technology,
such as improvised weapons and explosive devices, are a major concern.
These now account for the greatest number of casualties among coalition
forces in Iraq and finding new ways to combat such threats is of immediate
importance to the Centre.
Further examples of the areas of research the Centre can facilitate
include:
- Search technologies, explosive detection and scanners;
- Detection and protection technologies against CBRN materials;
- CBRN and explosive forensic analysis to support the police services;
- Counter improvised explosive device technologies;
- Explosive ordnance disposal techniques and robotic vehicles.
The centre therefore acts as a portal for government departments into
MOD CT technologies and although developed by the MOD, many of its activities
are of interest to others in Government involved in CT.
Ensuring that all customers benefit from the very best in scientific
and technological research, the Centre acts as a focus for international
research collaboration and aims to strengthen and enhance existing agreements
with our coalition partners to assist the global fight against terrorism.
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