UK firm developing laser bomb detectors for NATO troops to neutralize 'invisible' Taliban bombs

London, May 15 (ANI): NATO Commanders, and the US in particular, have reportedly accepted a revolutionary new laser technology developed by a company in Britain that can detect Taliban explosives with negligible quantities of metal or even devoid of metal.

The Taliban have reportedly begun constructing 'invisible' bombs.

The Times quoted Don Arnone, chief executive of the Cambridge-based TeraView, as saying that the US Defense Department has already evaluated his company's technology, which has been developed with funding from the British Home Office.

NATO commanders have said that they want to sponsor a trial in August, while government agencies in Britain are also interested.

"With the Terahertz laser you can actually penetrate clothes, packages and identify the content," Arnone said.

The device operates on the principle of light waves and differing wavelengths.

The technology works by passing a Terahertz light, which lies between radio and light waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, through an explosive. The way in which the light is absorbed signals whether it contains explosives.

Arnone believes that with sufficient investment, his company's technology, called the Terahertz Standoff Explosives Detection Unit, could be adapted for use on the front line within 18 months to two years.

At the moment the device is the size of a photocopier, and therefore, needs to be modified to make it more mobile for troops.

The only limitation of the device is its inability to detect metal. This means troops will have to continue using metal detectors. (ANI)