Capable of causing significant loss of life and damage to infrastructure, the threat posed by remotely triggered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) remains as potent as ever.  

The effects of a detonation are far-reaching, with long-lasting psychological, economic, and political repercussions that hinder a return to normality. Accessing the knowledge and materials required to build an IED has become easier than ever, increasing the operational burden on security and policing forces.

According to the manufacturer, this is where Guardian Shield comes in. Designed, coded, and built from the ground up with future threats in mind, Guardian Shield is highly versatile, capable of adapting to new threats within hours.

Threats are neutralised using software-defined radio signals. Guardian Shield is also compliant with open software and hardware standards, enabling complementary systems to communicate and interact with it.

Guardian Shield can be transported in a range of vehicle types – either specialised military vehicles or civilian 4x4s.

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Once on scene, the EOD operator quickly assesses the situation and, based on intelligence, decides to deploy Guardian Shield. Deployment is straightforward, as the system consists of two components.

The system can be positioned by most medium-sized Remotely Controlled Vehicles (RCVs), preventing EOD operators from putting themselves in harm’s way to set up the countermeasure within range of the suspect package. In extreme cases, a single operator can manually position Guardian Shield if an RCV is unavailable.

With Guardian Shield now deployed, the operator can utilise a variety of surgical and targeted techniques to prevent the device from being remotely activated. The EOD operator neutralises the threat, restoring normality with minimal disruption. 

As threats evolve, new RF waveforms can be uploaded to Guardian Shield via software updates, leveraging the system’s radios with novel Electronic Surveillance (ES) and Electronic Attack (EA) techniques.

Leonardo has integrated state-of-the-art electronics into the designing and construction of Guardian Shield. However, should any hardware modifications be required, the system’s modularity ensures these changes remain relatively cost-effective compared to legacy systems.

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