Car and Truck bombs, if they do not stop, what do YOU do?

Question

Remembering the Marine barracks in Beirut and the recent attack by 2 dump trucks on the 82nd that killed 9 US troopers, what is the plan? The Engineers can build anything given enough time and money but what do you do in one day? Concrete blocks making a serpentine and small arms do not stop trucks. Truck motors can run for a few minutes with holes in them. Trucks can still move with flat tires. Trucks loaded with HE will take out everything within 300 yards. Remember you only have 24 hrs. Stop one truck bomber and word will spread.

How can you physically stop a vehicle bomb from getting into your perimeter on the 1st day?

Answer 1

I seriously, seriously doubt you've actually been in Iraq. If you have, explain where you were and what you were doing.

Texas barriers and HESCOs will stop a VBIED cold if it charges straight ahead into them. If a VBIED is maneuvering in a serpentine, I guarantee concertina wire in the axles will stop the victor in its tracks while the entire vehicle is being pounded by M240Bs and other weapons. This has been demonstrated so many times that it's not even worth hiding under OPSEC consideratons (everyone fighting us in Iraq knows how we man our TCPs and how we set up our compounds).

The Beirut attack on the Marine Corps barracks has been examined over and over. We know the Marines on sentry detail weren't allowed to lock and load. We know there were a number of other measures that failed to be implemented.

And we know about the 82nd guys, a point you keep on harping on over and over again. When you split line platoons up all over Iraq and place them in IP stations, IA headquarters and such, you're not going to get the sort of defensive perimeter you need to stop everything and anything. Iraqi streets are narrow and packed. Walls are cinderblock or clay mud-brick. Rebar is often not used in any sort of meaningful quantity. You do what you can with HESCOs, concertina, and whatever else you can snag. That's life.

You seem to think that VBIEDs can be stopped by shaped charges and other such nonsense. And yes, I call it nonsense. I guarantee trying to sell any plan to light up a VBIED with explosives is going to hit the BDE TOC and cause seizures to erupt. Even if the plan miraculously gets approved, some IA or IP will rat out the position of said shaped charge (you forget all patrols are joint? That the combat outposts are jointly manned, maybe?) and negate its value.

Worse, if said shaped charge cooks off, lights up the VBIED, and kills the IA or IP at the gate, maybe a few civilians, I guarantee the 15-6 will hit you like a sledgehammer and without mercy. I hardly think the idea of hitting a VBIED with a SMAW-D or AT-4 deserves much credence. Yeah, that's what I want to do if a VBIED packed with explosives is at the gate - set the thing off with a HEAT round, and kill whoever is at the gate manning the damn thing and everyone else caught in the blast and secondary frag. Whoever does that deserves the 15-6 that's coming to them.

And really, for you to raise this Question on open source where people discuss possible TCPs is just not right to begin with. VBIEDs and IEDs will continue to kill. The IED Task Force and other entities working out in the field are working on countermeasures all the time that go far, far beyond anything that you could possibly discuss here safely.

Leave the weird scenarios alone. Besides, most VBIEDs target and kill civilians anyhow.

Answer 2

You need Checkpoints probably 300-500 yards from your main position and place road barriers such as concrete/water with the use of spike strips surrounding your complex and cover the main roads with as you described serpentine entrances. I would suggest a clear line of fire with something heavy such as a couple of .50 or maybe a tow missile.


These are my thoughts but in all likelyhood it woulod not stop a determined attacker and probably shows I have no idea what I am talking about.

Answer 3

That is why you cover high-speed avenues of approach with heavy weapons. A .50 cal bullet will crack the block on the largest diesels and cause them to seize instantly.

The next trick is not to have barriers that stop the truck - instead have barriers that will stop the truck's undercarriage.

The fact of the matter is that no defense is perfect and sometimes the enemy gets lucky.

Answer 4

Memo to myself:

Deploy all troops who are occupying public building in Iraq and attacked by multiply vehicle explosive devices. Issue the guard force allot of light anti tank weapons. No truck can survive if hit by a 85MM HEAT charge. Have the Engineered make up caltrops and spike strips flat tires slow you down.

Answer 5

Dont understand your question...
i saw a show about things they do to trucks to protect them from bombs, the cars look normal but with motifications..only thing i remember is something special inside of the tires, if they get flat they can still go just fine.

Answer 6

If you know is a car bomb you shoot the living **** out of it. But if you think is a VBIED you follow your rule of engagement. You tell him to stop then get out of the truck and so on so on

Answer 7

If your have a gun placement with an 50 caliber, you may get the engine to seize.

Answer 8

missle launchers within the compound on a command elevated above the barracks fence-to fire at any vehicle or person attempting to reach the gate without authorization

300 yards is the size of a football field--my calculations is less than that-to accomplish this -you would have to have a guard post to check trucks in eye contact over 300 feet away-from the barracks and preferable from the enclosures outside fence too with no other way in .

and tomorrow see the chaplain and pray-in Jesus amazing grace that saved a wretch like me to love my country along with Muslims and all people=there are Muslims in the us armed services. one was killed in action in Iraq and another wounded in action who came to his aid.

including one chaplain that is Muslim.

I happen to be a Jew and kicked out of my Jewish synagogue for believing the prophets teachings about Jesus.

Isaiah 9;6 "Unto us a child will be born, a Son given and he will be almighty God and the prince of peace."

and I stand with Muslims on this issue which keeps the Military armed forces safe from within too-yet many have come to truth and been set free even in the military=1 Corinthians 6:9-13 and such were some of you buy you have been cleansed by salvation from the precious blood of (well look it up to find out who)

to protect the armed forces=

Romans chapter 1:18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.


and as an american i would be proud to serve in the armed services myself not claiming a religion but rather a relationship with Jesus the Messiah my savior and best friend. I am against violence-that is why we are in Iraq -Muslims and all to stop violence

yet sometimes you have to fight bombs with bombs-to protect lives. thanks for your good question. David

Answer 9

What would I do?
I would not even be in a country where these things are done, thank you.
Bring 'em home!

Answer 10

Run for your life to avoid the car bomb because you have no choice.