Defence contractor Raytheon develops IED detection devices with Loughborough spin off.

Raytheon, a global defence company working with the UK’s Ministry of Defence, has developed anti-explosive technology in conjunction with Loughborough University spin-off Laser Optical Engineering.

The optical device manufacturer, spun out from Loughborough in 1996, has been working with Raytheon on Soteria, which is a vehicle mounted optical device capable of identifying the size, shape and exact location of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

IEDs are homemade bombs and are widely used by enemy combatants in Afghanistan, often placed along roadsides and other strategic locations on a battlefield, and are the number one cause of injury and death of British and other NATO forces operating in the country.

Bob Delorge, chief executive of Raytheon UK, said: “Soteria is a world leading technology that demonstrates the power of innovation that can be harnessed in the UK. The system can be applied to a wide range of scenarios including minefield clearance, which remains a significant menace in various world regions, as well as in other operations such as disaster relief.”