By Piotr Bebenek
Piotr Bebenek discusses the changing nature of war and IED use after 9/11, and introduces Logos Imaging’s range of portable X-ray systems.
If one today considers the “War on Terrorism” as an ongoing global conflict, one might arrive at an uneasy conclusion: the world has been engaged in an international “war” for more than 20 years.
This is not even close to the longest known wars, but if we take two factors into consideration, namely its international reach and our modern times, it becomes indisputable that the effect that this “war” is having on our society cannot be unseen.
I must stress that I am trying to not call this conflict a “war” per se. Yet the very word “war” in the context of the “War on Terrorism” and the implied binary struggle behind it substantially changed after September 11, 2001.
The ensuing “War on Terror” declared by U.S. President George W. Bush after 9/11 has been largely characterized by a series of more-or-less-internal contingency operations against militant or terrorist organizations and regimes in a struggle to eliminate the driving forces for the deadly attacks on civilians and societies around the world.
Thinking of “terrorism”, one should remember that the means of destruction used by Al-Qaeda and other large terrorist organizations are not limited to the most infamous lethal attacks. 9/11, the March 2004 attacks in Madrid, the July 2005 London bombings, or the 2013 Boston Marathon explosion, are probably some of the bigger attacks known to anyone who is not even remotely interested in international security affairs.
Yet IEDs are also used by lone wolves seeking political or ideological “revenge” or used by other criminal perpetrators to achieve more “local” goals. This is why the awareness of the potential threat, and the abilities to counter it, should be well developed on both national and local levels within the armed forces, law enforcement, and first response units.
Next to advanced intelligence gathering, being able to identify a non-conventional threat is one of the critical abilities for modern public security operators. Whenever there is a risk of IED use, one of the most useful and efficient tools for operators engaging in the first contact with the potentially lethal object is a portable X-ray kit.
Portable X-ray Kits for Military and Law Enforcement
With this type of portable digital radiography (DR) tool, an operator can conduct the X-ray inspection of a suspicious object remotely, keeping them at a safe distance to the object. Without touching the device to be inspected, the operator places the panel behind the object and places the X-ray source in front of the device approximately 30-40 inches (80-100 cm) away from the panel.
Once the operator returns to the safety zone up-range, it is possible to take numerous shots of the given scene without having to approach the potentially lethal device again. The complete process of the system operation, from conducting X-rays to image processing and analysis, is controlled from a laptop or tablet.
The numerous functionalities of the systems and physical properties of the panel give users the benefit of having insight into the details of the device, especially those that have been hidden inside. This increases safety and reduces risk for any military and law enforcement service personnel engaged in object inspection activities.
Introducing Logos Imaging
Headquartered in Johnstown, CO, USA, Logos Imaging is a leading provider of innovative and cost-effective portable X-ray solutions designed to meet the requirements of security customers worldwide. Our focus is on providing customers with advanced technologies that add value to their operations at a competitive price. The imaging systems that the company produces are under constant scrutiny, from the mechanical design for extended durability and efficiency, through the ease of operation and portability, and to the effective and user-friendly software interface. With an installed base of more than 4,000 imaging systems worldwide and around 20 years on the market, we take pride in the satisfaction and appraisal of those who use our systems in their daily operations.
Logos Imaging’s products are a perfect fit for EOD operations, but also for Forensic Collection, Intelligence Exploitation, or at Detainment/Correctional facilities. One of the growing user groups for this kind of product is also fire investigating entities, who are also seeing a lot of potential in X-ray capabilities.
At Logos Imaging LLC, we have an extensive past performance history for our products and services, including X-ray systems currently in service with the following partners: The FBI Academy, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI Hazardous Devices School, Sandia National Laboratory, The Center for Fire and Explosives Investigation, Idaho National Laboratory, as well as public safety bomb squads and military Explosive Ordnance Disposal units throughout the world.
Logos Imaging is also known for numerous technological developments. Recently, we were the first company to launch a full line of glass-free imagers. This has allowed our panels to be more rugged, while also minimizing the amount of dead space to only a 3mm border on at least one side of the three imagers we currently offer.
Three Logos Systems: STENÓS, XIRÓS, SOSTÓS
The main difference between the systems is in their size and weight. The 14”x17” STENÓS II panel, measuring 386x460x15mm, weighs 3.9kg including the battery. Each battery offers five hours of constant operation, and two batteries are supplied in one kit.
The 12”x12” XIRÓS II – currently our most popular imager among the military EOD users – is often coupled with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and measures 320x320x15mm and weighs 2.5kg including the battery. The two batteries give a total operation time of 14 hours.
Finally, the 10”x10” SOSTÓS II – our lightest and smallest imager – measures 283x283x15mm and weighs only 1.3kg including a two-hour operating battery. All three panels produce the same great quality image and can operate with the complete range of Golden Engineering pulsed X-ray generators.
Our portable X-ray systems weigh significantly less than ever before, have numerous useful features, produce high quality 16-bit images, and utilize software that has been recognized as very user-friendly by members of the EOD community worldwide. Being glass-free and IP 67 rated, our imaging panels are designed to operate even in harsh environmental conditions.
These systems are all capable of taking X-rays using a fully wireless mode (including the ability to use the mesh network of choice), a wired communications mode, or by using the system’s Automatic Exposure Detection (AED) mode where no external connections are necessary for image acquisition.
The AED mode feature, available with our newest glass-free imagers, gives users the ability to capture multiple X-rays and store them on the imager itself. Once all images have been captured, users can download the images directly from the panel into the software for interpretation and further diagnostics via a USB-C cable. The benefits of this mode also include but are not limited to no need for any communication down-range, ease of ROV integration, and minimum on-site weight of the deployed kit.
The latest and greatest products offered are characterized by their simplicity: this has become our priority in terms of X-ray kit development. The first users who either took part in live demonstrations of the systems, or already purchased some of them, all reported that their ease of use, minimal weight in addition to basic gear, and lack of dangling cables was what they loved most. The low weight of the imagers has proven popular among Special Operations Forces, who, as a growing user group, are focused not only on EOD-related operations but also thinking out of the box on potential uses for portable X-ray systems. The 10”x10” SOSTÓS II kit has been primarily developed with this group in mind.
With a U.S.-based sales team including ex-EOD operators and assisted by an overseas team working in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Logos Imaging is happy to provide a wide range of training sessions and hands-on presentations of counter-IED capabilities offered by the portable X-ray systems. We know the trade well, and by working with our partners complementing the examination and neutralization of threats via ROVs and blast-proof containers for safe removal of explosive content, we are happy to share operators’ experiences and tell you more about additional possible assistance that operators can purchase. For more information about Logos Imaging’s products, or to request a live demonstration of products’ capabilities, please reach out to our Sales Team: [email protected]
Piotr Bebenek, MA (University of Warsaw), focusing on researching the impact of IEDs used for terrorist attacks since 2001. After completing military training in 2001, has been working with military and police EOD operators providing trainings and specialized equipment, from CWA and explosives trace detectors, blast-proof containers, and EOD suits to portable X-ray systems. He currently works as an X-ray Systems Advisor and International Relations Manager for Logos Imaging LLC.
