Terror Threat: PETN

PETN is an extremely powerful explosive and a current weapon of choice for terrorists around the globe. Read more about this terror threat found in Medal of Honor Warfighter. What do the al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the shoe bomber, the toner cartridge bomb plot and the underwear bomber all have in common? They all attempted touse pentaerythritol trinitrate, aka PETN explosive in a terrorist attack oncivilian targets. It’s the same explosive that is central to the Medal of HonorWarfighter storyline. PETN is what keeps security personnel upat night thinking about not only how it may be utilised but more importantly how it can bedetected and stopped.What is PETN http://cdn.medalofhonor.com/sites/default/files/images/petn1.jpgPETN is an extremely powerful explosive and a current weapon of choice for terrorists around the globe. The compound itself is rarely used alone, insteadcombined with additional components to trigger a reaction. PETN is commonlyfound in a powder form that is roughly the consistency of salt. It iscolorless, but appears as white grains.Detection The problem facing security officials is that PETN is a plastic-based powderwhich is not detectable by metal detectors and its makeup is particularly hardfor traditional bomb-sniffing dogs to detect. Only airport “puffermachines†and swabbing can be used to detect the presence of PETN or itsresidue. PETN can also stay present in the hair of those who handle or workaround the compound even after washing. Thus, while detection is possible, thechallenge is developing detection methods for the many different ways PETN canbe transported across borders.Highly Explosive http://cdn.medalofhonor.com/sites/default/files/images/petn2.jpgThe amount of PETN needed for a significant reaction is very small and forthis reason PETN detection is difficult as it allows for easy concealment. Ithas been estimated that as little as 6 grams (0.2oz) of PETN would be enough tocreate a hole in metal twice the thickness of an aircraft’s skin.Underwear bombs have shown as much as 80g (3oz) and toner cartridge bombs foundin Yemen revealed 300g - 400g (11oz - 14oz) of PETN. Medal of Honor Warfighter Medal of Honor Warfighter tells the story of U.S. Tier 1 Operator,“Preacher†as he returns home from overseas only to find his familytorn apart from years of deployment. Trying to pick up the pieces to salvagewhat remains of his marriage, Preacher is reminded of what he’s fightingfor - family. But when an extremely deadly explosive (PETN) penetrates civilianborders and his two worlds collide, Preacher and his fellow teammates are sentin to solve the problem. They take the fight to the enemy and do whatever ittakes to protect their loved ones from harm. Medal of Honor Warfighter will beavailable on October 26,http://cdn.medalofhonor.com/sites/default/files/images/blog-preorder-banner.jpg

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