The ENTRAP project is an H2020 funded project coordinated by FOI - the Swedish Defence Research Agency and consorting 16 organizations involved in the research of security of explosives. It ran from 1 May 2017 until 31 October 2020. Here we summarize the main unclassified outcomes of the project.

Project objectives

The objective of the ENTRAP project was to support practitioners that protect society from, and respond to, incidents involving IED threats by delivering combined operational research (OR) methods for assessing and identifying emerging and future counter-measures. ENTRAP aimed to create step-change for the development and deployment of new IED prevention tools and techniques. Strategies for impartial assessments of existing and emerging counter-tools different in different IED related scenarios were developed.

Structure and framework

The project came up with a method to structure terrorist plot scenarios which involve the use of IEDs by assessing selected historical plots and emerging explosive threats.

Capabilities required to counter these plots were divided into four capability domains: Prevent, Detect, React, and Mitigate. A detailed capability hierarchy was developed to identify and structure counter-terrorism capabilities.

Information on more than 450 existing and emerging counter-tools was compiled and collected in a database, which was connected to the capability hierarchy, so that it supports further assessment.

Effectiveness assessments

The effectiveness existing or emerging counter-tools depends on the attack scenario. In ENTRAP, the assessments were based on operational research methods and the effectiveness was evaluated in iterative actions with increasing level of detail and focus. One assessment method uses evaluation through serious gaming. For the game, a Red team (‘Terrorists’) and a Blue team (‘Counter-terrorism officials’) were set up and actions and counter-actions, including the use of counter-tools, were simulated. The results were analysed for their effectiveness as well as for the efficient and realistic use of resources and capabilities.

Gap analysis

The existing gaps in the system were identified and prioritized based on the effectiveness assessments and the structured blue side-red side confrontation setting with a range of IED attack scenarios. The prioritized gaps, needs and opportunities for improvement were subjected to analysis how they can be addressed through future research and development.

Cost assessment

A cost analysis exercise helped identify the most cost-effective counter-tools. The cost analysis was based on a quantitative method using available actual cost figures and a qualitative method through expert judgement.

Ethical and legal considerations

An ethical impact assessment raised the awareness among the operational decision makers and end-users on the need of compliance of emerging counter-tools with the European legal framework.

Recommendations for future research

Through the assessments and the gap analysis, the ENTRAP project identified future security research needs with the aim to strengthen the future societal preparedness to counter explosive threats.

The final workshop report can be found here