From RIA Novosti:  Kommersant has learned that Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are in the final phase of a classified joint project called Standex, to help identify even low-yield bombs carried by suicide bombers.

The first tests will be carried out on the Paris metro. Serial production of the device is scheduled to start ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Moscow has called it an unprecedented success: the first time that NATO and Russia have produced an integrated intelligent anti-terror system.

The tests are scheduled for spring. The specifications of the system, which is even able to detect small quantities of explosives on a suicide bomber, from 200 grams in TNT equivalent, will not be disclosed. The project has successfully passed the research and development stage. Jamie Shea, who leads NATO’s Emerging Security Challenges Division and is Director of Policy Planning in the Private Office of the Secretary General, launched it during the Russia-NATO Council ambassadorial meeting on March 2. …

It was not accidental that Paris was chosen as the test location: France is one of the five Russia-NATO Council countries involved in running and subsidizing the project. The others are Russia, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. …

Russian Ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin told Kommersant that the project was conceived several years ago on the Russia-NATO Council’s suggestion. “Standex has grown to become the Council’s key project and benefited from everybody’s unreserved support. At the same time, it was classified, with experts deciding to keep the technology involved confidential,” Russia’s permanent representative to NATO told Kommersant.  (graphic: the Economist)

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