Beating the Bomb: Gareth Collett on bomb disposal, IEDs, and the science behind safe disarmament

Overview

Gareth Collett, a British Army Brigadier General (retired) and explosives engineer, reflects on a 32-year career in bomb disposal, from the Troubles in Northern Ireland to Iraq and Afghanistan, leading multinational teams against IED networks.

He explains the science of disarming devices, the signatures of different munitions, and how forensic methods now assist in war-crime investigations in Beirut and Mariupol. He also discusses his research into explosives precursors, bladder cancer risk among veterans, and the mental health toll of combat, including PTSD.

Off the battlefield, Collett moved into academia, focusing on regulation, training, and global collaboration with the UN and Interpol.

Introduction: A life in bomb disposal

Gareth Collett opens by outlining a 32-year military career focused on bomb disposal, with formative experiences in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and later deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He emphasizes the specialized training required to disarm improvised devices and the high-stakes environment in which a single misstep can be fatal.

Path to the front line: Training, mentorship, and the craft

Collett describes a rigorous progression from Welbeck defence college to Sandhurst, culminating in an ammunition technical officer course that lasted 14 months and involved 52 exams. He notes the extraordinarily selective nature of the high-threat course that qualified him to work in Northern Ireland, with a pass rate of around 8 percent, underscoring the precision and discipline required in bomb disposal.

""The pass rate was 8% of those who attend the high threat course to go to Northern Ireland in my day passed." - Gareth Collett, Brigadier General (retired)

The science of disarming: How a bomb is understood and made safe

In lay terms, Collett explains that a bomb is analyzed as a system consisting of a power source, circuitry, detonator, main charge, and housing. Rendering a device safe often hinges on removing the power source or disrupting the detonator circuitry. He emphasizes that modern threats lack a consistent “blue wire, red wire” blueprint, requiring deep electronics knowledge and adaptability because attackers may vary components and materials.

From Northern Ireland to the battlefield: IED networks and detection

The interview covers the operational scale of IED networks in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the counter-IED operations center that fused intelligence with detectors, including dogs, radar, and other sensors. Collett notes the Taliban in Afghanistan represented a different challenge, using high volumes of IEDs and adapting tactics to evade detection and defeat.

""Dogs are the best detector known to man, and they can turn on a sixpence when the threat shifts." - Gareth Collett, Brigadier General (retired)

Forensic architecture and war crimes investigations

Collett discusses his work with forensic-architecture groups, reverse-engineering blasts to identify munition origins and platforms, and aligning findings with international humanitarian law. Beirut port (2020) and Mariupol theatre (2022) cases are highlighted as examples where technical reports can underpin legal accountability in war-crime investigations.

""I will look at the damage first, then I will reverse engineer that blast and fragmentation damage to the likely munition that has caused the offence." - Gareth Collett, Brigadier General (retired)

Health, epidemiology, and the veteran wind

Reflecting on his bladder cancer diagnosis in 2023, Collett describes the epidemiological work that followed, examining whether bomb disposal veterans face higher risks of urological cancers. A study tracking 688 individuals found 12 bladder cancer diagnoses, a rate that raised concerns and prompted further systematic reviews with international partners.

"In a sample of 688 we found 12 bladder cancer diagnoses, a statistic that takes us well above the UK average." - Gareth Collett, Brigadier General (retired)

PTSD, support, and the road to academia

Collett discusses PTSD and the difficulty of accessing support within military and NHS pathways, revealing personal struggles and the importance of external support networks such as Help for Heroes. The transition to academia followed—first in Yemen with UNDP, then a senior lectureship at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, focusing on ordinance, munitions, and explosive apprenticeship programs, alongside pursuing a PhD on precursor chemicals regulated by global bodies.

"I developed PTSD myself over a number of years in the sort of atrocities that I'd seen." - Gareth Collett, Brigadier General (retired)

Policy, regulation, and a global impact

Collett explains how his research on chemical precursors has influenced international practice, noting UN and Interpol adoption of precursor regulation within training. This work informs his ongoing PhD and the broader aim of harmonizing safety standards to prevent explosive misuse on a global scale.

"Explosive precursor regulation is now part of UN and Interpol training" - Gareth Collett, Brigadier General (retired)

Looking ahead: stories, fiction, and public understanding

Towards the end, Collett contemplates future projects, including a memoir that remains a security risk and a fictional work inspired by his experiences, designed to illuminate the human side of bomb disposal and counter-terrorism work, while bridging professional expertise with public understanding.

"I have written a fictional novel based on two characters from opposing sides to explore how their lives intersect under conflict." - Gareth Collett, Brigadier General (retired)