Roadside bombs questions

How is it that the US army spends a great deal of money in their military technology yet they are easily duped when it comes to dealing with roadside bombs?

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How is it that we spend a lot of money fighting crime right here in the U.S. and yet crimes still occur? The answer is the same...

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How do roadside bombs work exactly?

I heard they were activated wirelessly <- is that spelled right?

If that's the case aren't there already technologies that are able to block wireless communication?

Some of them are triggered through wireless devices. Blocking the radio signals can be done but that isn't without it's own drawbacks. You can't effectively block only one particular cell phone's conection. You can jam the radio spectrum but that means ALL cell phones are knocked out. Since cell phones are the primary means of communications in Iraq that means you not only block the possible bomb triggers but you block anyone who might be calling in tips to you and your own communications too. And the bombs could just as easily be setup to be triggered by the jamming signal so you'd be setting them off by trying to jam the signal.

Jamming is a technology that has to be used selectively.

They could go to a broadband jamming system and that would take out all radio/TV/Cell service as well.

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Don't we also have heat sensing devices capable of detecting human presence? If So, aren't we able to use this technology to spot hostile parties before they actually trigger the IED's ?

??? This seems way to obvious to me... A "hostile party" doesn't give off a different heat signature from friendly parties after all. Do you think if you had such a device and you walked through NYC you could pick out who was a criminal and who wasn't? Most of the devices that are being exploded are in urban areas with thousands of people on every block.

Also, heat sensors have little practical affect when the ambient temp around a human body is the same or higher that the body itself is. Generally they pick up a source of heat that is contracted to cooler surfaces next to them. When the daytime temps get up to 100 degrees everything else heats up to near human body temps so there is no contrast between a 98 degree body and the 98 degree stones, ground, cars, etc.. next to them.

Don't some of the attacks take place in suburban areas?

For example if you're driving along a dirt road and you and have that sensor activated and you see a group of people waiting as if to ambush you, wouldn't that make you more aware and prepared if they were actually waiting to detonate a roadside bomb now that you see those people?

Don't some of the attacks take place in suburban areas?

For example if you're driving along a dirt road and you and have that sensor activated and you see a group of people waiting as if to ambush you, wouldn't that make you more aware and prepared if they were actually waiting to detonate a roadside bomb now that you see those people?

It isn't like these guys are standing at the side of the road with facemasks on and firearms in their hands... Most of them are blocks away hidden inside a building or in another car.