Replica Improvised Explosive Device (IED) hacksaw pressure plate switch, 2013

This high metal content victim-operated switch was commonly used by insurgents at the beginning of IED use during the Afghanistan campaign (2001-). It is made from a hacksaw blade and the inner tube of a tyre which protects it against the weather. The two metal contacts come together under the weight of a person or vehicle, completing the circuit and causing the device to function.