User:Bombkiller007/sandbox

Ravens Challenge™ is the largest Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) training event in the world managed by CP2S.<1>Initially developed as an offshoot of Ravens Crescent and Ravens Crest series of EOD exercises for the Washington National Guard from 2004-2008.

The current Ravens Challenge™ conference, workshop, training and exercise program evolved into a multinational, multi jurisdictional event designed to prepare EOD and C-IED technicians, support personnel, and managers to prepare and respond effectively to modern and realistic terrorist threats utilizing primarily IEDs. The program incorporates the latest global terrorist incident information and incorporates them into a training program that allows the EOD teams from both military and civilian departments to test and validate their Render Safe Procedures (RSPs) against functional IED training targets.

The IED lanes themselves range from the simple to complex involving multiple role players and requiring support agencies to complete. The overall goal begin to place the EOD team and others into the scenario as realistically as possible in order to train them for the actual event in their area. Starting out as a local event, the Ravens Challenge™ has developed over the years to become an international training program involving multi-national teams operating both individually and together.<2>

The latest Ravens Challenge in Thailand (November 2013) was the largest to date and involved over 6 nations, 20 department, and 400 EOD technicians and almost 1000 support personnel participating in the training. Explosive K9, Forensics Teams, Civil Support Teams (CST), SWAT, Counter Terrorist, HAZMAT, Medical, and many others also receive training on IED incidents to include Post Blast operations and IED awareness and search.

The current program was developed by RISC Management (Magen Solutions) but was incorporated into CP2S in December after the programs merged under the Ravens Division. Current Ravens Challenges are under this organization, which can field multiple Ravens Challenges yearly across the globe.

Current US Military EOD units utilize Ravens Challenge™ to validate their Team Leader Certification qualifications either in part or as the final week long test out. Each IED lane supports either the US Army Team Leader skill requirements, or the US NBSCAB and local commanders training goals for the year. International hosts and participants will frequently add their specific training requirements on top of the ones in place for the lanes.

Current IED Training lanes in Ravens Challenge™ include: Suicide Bomber Hostage Bombing Tactical Dismounted EOD operations Vehicle Borne IED (VBIED) Water Borne IED (WBIED) Aircraft IED response SEARCH Lane Route Clearance Multiple Ordnance UXO Chemical Incident with explosive hazard (IED or UXO) Post Blast Operations and Investigations Multiple IED Motorcycle IED Home Made Explosive (HME) lab exploitation Robot Rodeo Hook and Line Ninja Challenge

Ravens Challenge™ also contains multiple testing venues for EOD and CIED equipment manufacturers to provide support and testing of current and existing technology to integrate with the EOD teams. Many of the technology solutions are currently experimental or not being fielded by the military or police units and help to validate if the technology is applicable to the IED incident application. In 2014, the Ravens Challenge™ under CP2S began to allow vendors direct participation in the lanes to allow the military and police EOD technicians to utilize the technology in direct tests against the IED problems.

Forensics collection and preservation of evidence for the IEDs is incorporated in each of the training lanes, and the participating teams collect the forensic evidence as they do in real world incidents and the evidence is analyzed by the local and national participating Bomb Data Centers, usually under the Federal Police or Investigation departments.

In 2013 and 2014 the US ATF began a series of Ravens Challenges also attempting to revive the older National Guard Ravens Crescent/Ravens Crest program and focus on the command and control interoperability of military and civilian joint operations in the US response model.

Currently 4 Ravens Challenges are being conducted in 2014: Boston, MA, Bangkok, Thailand, Pima, Arizona, Athens, Greece (Where it is referred to as Ravens Olympics). All under the CP2S operational control.