By Henry E. Powderly II

Source: Long Island Business News.

    Griffon Corp. on Tuesday said it received $30 million to develop a device that can detect, and possibly destroy, improvised explosive devices.

    Griffon¡¯s Telephonics Corp subsidiary received the award, which will be paid in increments, from SRCTec Inc., the technology manufacturing subsidiary of defense company Syracuse Research Corp.

    Telephonics will produce a ready-to-use counter improvised explosive device. IEDs are homemade bombs and mines used in unconventional warfare, often in the form of roadside bombs. The bombs are usually made with common materials, which can make them hard to detect.

    In November, NATO held a symposium on IEDs and discussed the various technologies that can be used to detect and destroy them. One technology used high frequency wave ¨C terahertz waves, which are electromagnetic and are emitted by all objects inanimate or not ¨C to detect bombs.

    Another type of IED detector, chemical detection devices, search for trace vapors of explosives.

    Griffon did not state the technology it will use in its counter IED, but the company does specialize in radar and other wave-based communication technologies.

    Jericho-based Griffon said it has received $280 million for the project to date.