Terrorism is a real and growing threat to Europe and the world, and more than 60% of the terrorist attacks are carried out by the use of Improvised Explosive Devices. Security forces demand new tools to fight against this threat and the industry is making a big effort in the last few years to provide such tools.

Every year a number of new products to detect and identify concealed explosives reach the market but up to the moment these new systems do not meet the full operational capabilities demanded by the end users. Probably the most demanded by the end users is the capability for standoff detection and identification of explosives, in order to be able to anticipate the threat from a safe distance and to avoid entering into the lethality area of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Such standoff detection capability is also very demanded for intelligence operations to identify materials, people or places involved in the preparation and transportation of explosives.