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Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO)
Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Task Force (JIEDD TF)

Competitive Strategies Group (CSG)

During FY10, the Competitive Strategies Group (CSG) was disbanded and its functions were realigned within the COIC and CAC.

The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization's (JIEDDO) Competitive Strategies Group (CSG) was established in FY08 to get ahead of rapid threat IED development. The Competitive Strategies Group (CSG) extended the JIEDDO Director's strategic and critical thinking process by challenging JIEDDO's strategy and decisions with independent, critical, and alternative perspectives that were technologically, culturally, and politically aware. These efforts enabled JIEDDO to gain and maintain a competitive advantage across the global operational environment. The CSG was functionally aligned with a Strategic Influence Cell (SIC), a Cultural and Political Perspectives Cell (CPC), and a Technology Exploitation Cell.

The Strategic Influence and Cultural Political Cell (SIC/CPC) provided an independent capability to fully explore alternatives in plans, operations, concepts, organizations, and capabilities in the context of the operational environment and from the perspectives of partners, adversaries, and others. The SIC/CPC published more than 70 "red teaming" information papers during FY09 designed to provoke thought and generate discussion to help shape an understanding of how the adversary may view actions taken by Blue Forces. Topics included: "Coalition Force buildup in Afghanistan: What will be the response?", "What will happen when CF draws down in Iraq?", and "How does North Korea plan to use IEDs?"

In response to the FY09 National Defense Authorization Act, the SIC/CPC collaborated with various organizations and agencies to identify potential IED threats facing the combatant commands in the 2012-2018 time frame. JIEDDO's response highlighted the portability of knowledge and skills needed to construct and use IEDs. The report concluded that each combatant command faced divergent and decentralized hostile actors with increasing capability and lethality.

The Technology Exploitation Cell (TEC) provided an independent capability to create and exploit technical C-IED defeat alternatives. The cell considered "what’s next?" in the IED fight, reached out to the commercial sector to identify new and emerging technologies, and leveraged relationships with other government agencies, industry, and academia to discover and mitigate vulnerabilities and potential uses of current and emerging technologies as IEDs. To this end, the TEC was organized into 3 groups: the Technical Red/Blue Team Assessment Group, the Device Coordination Group (DCG), and the Device Innovation Group (DIG).

During FY09, competing Technical Red/Blue Teams completed more than 65 "QuickLook" and detailed assessments. These teams from Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Lab, Georgia Tech Research Institute, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Lincoln Labs theorized Red Force counter-countermeasures to defeat Blue Force C-IED systems. In response, Blue Teams documented the expected effectiveness of likely Red Force counter-countermeasures, identified system limitations and vulnerabilities, and offered recommendations to improve the system's capabilities. These efforts shaped the development of service and JIEDDO initiatives, such as MAXPOWER, COUNTERBOMBER 2, Shield, Laser Vibrometry IED Detection, and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.

The DCG reverse-engineered and reproduced IEDs found in Iraq and Afghanistan. These IED surrogate devices were used for Joint Counter-IED system testing and training. In 2009, DCG supported 15 test events and provided more than 1,100 individual devices for DoD test ranges and laboratories.

The DIG provided research in and production of emerging threats not yet seen, but likely to be used. During 2009, the DIG traveled to international technology tradeshows and conferences and selected consumer electronics to be evaluated as possible future IEDs.