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Purpose
The Center was conceived in response to a need by the Department of Defense to combat the asymmetric improvised explosive device (IED) threat in Iraq and Afghanistan. In December 2003 TEDAC began receiving its first devices.
Mission
The mission of TEDAC is to coordinate and manage the unified effort of law enforcement, intelligence, and military assets for the forensic and technical exploitation of IEDs of interest to the U.S. government worldwide, in an effort to provide actionable intelligence to the offensive missions against terrorism and to the Force Protection mission.
Functions and Operations
TEDAC performs the following functions and operations:
- Receives devices, IED component hardware, and other physical items from around the world and serves as the repository for those items;
- Conducts a full range of technical and forensic analysis and electronic engineering on the items received;
- Populates and maintains a database that is accessible to certain persons in the explosive and intelligence community. Unclassified information is shared directly with state, local, tribal, and other personnel who have a need to know and can access Law Enforcement Online (LEO);
- Provides all physical items and devices in the TEDAC inventory to the explosives and intelligence communities for any further exploitation deemed necessary to facilitate research, development, and engineering imperatives; and
- Provides information on terrorist IEDs and developing trends to the Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville, Alabama and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Composition
TEDAC is composed of the FBI Director, ATF Deputy Director, and six groups relating to forensics, technical exploitation, intelligence, and investigations. With approximately 165 full-time government/contract personnel, TEDAC consists of representatives from the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Department of Defense, foreign partners, and members of the intelligence community.
Forensics
TEDAC is comprised of two forensics groups led by supervisory special agents consisting of the intake program and the processing program. The intake program is made up of examiners and technicians whose primary responsibility involves managing the influx of devices from all over the world and interfacing with the FBI Laboratory as the devices are processed forensically. The processing program is comprised of the DNA Program, Trace Evidence, Photographers, the Latent Prints Unit, and Toolmarks. Within the group are scientists of various disciplines, technicians, examiners, and photographers.
Technical Exploitation
TEDAC is comprised of two Technical Exploitation Groups. One group is led by a supervisory special agent (who also a mechanical engineer), and the other group is led by an experienced electrical engineer. The groups consist of engineers, electronics technicians, and special agents who conduct detailed assessments, tests, and evaluations of the electronic functions of the IEDs and then disassemble them into their component parts for further examination to identify vulnerabilities and peculiarities. Their examination results become the basis for leads to the Intelligence and Investigations groups.
Intelligence
The Intelligence Group is led by a supervisory special agent and is currently staffed with analysts from the FBI and ATF, as well as contract analysts. They are responsible for producing intelligence reports, intelligence assessments, and bulletins based on the reporting from the Forensics and Technical Exploitation Groups.
Investigations
The Investigations Group is led by a supervisory special agent and is comprised of special agents and intelligence analysts from the FBI and ATF, as well as contract analysts. They perform multiple functions including the identification of electronic components of IEDs, their purchasers, manufacturers, and distributors.
Location
TEDAC is located at the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
Revised 6/15/09
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