Infantry Weapons

Magnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bomb

Also known as
  • Sticky bomb
  • Sticky IED
  • Magnetic IED
  • Magnetic bomb
  • Under-vehicle magnetic IED
  • No. 74 sticky bomb
  • S.T. grenade

Magnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bombs are close-placement explosive devices fixed to a vehicle with magnets, adhesive, or direct manual placement so the blast occurs against the hull, chassis, or wheel area. The modern conflict record is strongest for improvised sticky IEDs used against vehicles in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Gaza, while the older British No. 74 sticky bomb shows the same attachment concept in a purpose-built anti-tank grenade.

Magnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bomb, Improvised explosive device, Infantry Weapons
Image source: Rusafa leaders visit forensics lab DVIDS301827.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Attachment And Employment Patterns

The sources describe a method more than a single standardized weapon: the charge is brought to the vehicle rather than fired from a distance, and the attachment mechanism shapes both target choice and attacker risk.

PatternAttachmentDocumented use
No. 74 sticky bombAdhesive-coated grenade body exposed after the protective casing is removedPurpose-built British anti-tank grenade issued during the Second World War period.
Under-vehicle sticky IEDMagnets or glue fixed to a car chassis or undersideUsed in Iraq against officials and security-linked targets, often with timer or remote initiation.
Kabul sticky bombSmall explosive box with a magnet and mobile-phone triggerAttached to cars in traffic or repair settings during late-war violence in Afghanistan.
Gaza hand-placed chargeManual placement on an armored vehicle at very close rangeReported in Khan Yunis attacks against Israeli armored vehicles during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Field-improvised; historical adhesive anti-tank grenade lineage in the United Kingdom
Type
Improvised explosive device
Service note
World War II to present
Designer
Field-improvised by militant cells; British No. 74 lineage associated with wartime British anti-tank development
Designed
Varies by device; British No. 74 issued in 1941
Unit cost
Varies by construction; AP reported simple Kabul sticky bombs could be made for very little money
Produced
World War II to present
Number built
Not publicly known

Specifications

Attachment method
Magnetic, adhesive, or direct manual placement against the target vehicle
Target
Cars, armored vehicles, troop carriers, tanks, and other vehicles accessible at close range
Employment
Covert under-vehicle placement, traffic-side attachment, workshop placement, or close-range battlefield emplacement
Initiation
Varies by device; documented examples include timers, remote control, mobile-phone triggering, and grenade-delay mechanisms
Effect
Localized blast, fire, fragmentation, or vehicle kill against the chassis, wheel area, hull, engine deck, or troop compartment
Construction
Varies from purpose-built adhesive grenades to improvised explosive boxes with magnets, glue, phones, wiring, or salvaged explosives
Variants

The record covers a weapon method rather than a single factory model: adhesive grenades, magnetic under-vehicle IEDs, and hand-placed armor-attack charges share the same close-contact attachment logic.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
No. 74 Mk I sticky bombPurpose-built British adhesive anti-tank grenade

Imperial War Museums identifies the No. 74 Mk I as a Second World War British anti-tank hand grenade with a glass explosive flask, birdlime-derived adhesive surface, protective casing, and five-second delay.

Sources: Grenade, Anti-tank, No 74 Mk I ('Sticky Bomb')

Magnetic under-vehicle IEDCovert vehicle-attack device

2003 Iraq War reporting described bombs rigged with magnets to adhere to the undersides of automobiles and detonate by remote control or timer.

Sources: Use of 'sticky IEDs' rising in Iraq

Mobile-phone sticky bombUrban vehicle-attack device

AP described Kabul sticky bombs as small explosive boxes with a magnet and mobile phone used to trigger the blast near or on the target vehicle.

Sources: Sticky bombs latest weapon in Afghanistan's arsenal of war

Hand-placed armored-vehicle chargeClose-range anti-armor ambush device

Gaza reporting described Hamas fighters manually attaching improvised explosive devices to Israeli armored vehicles at close range.

Sources: Seven IDF soldiers killed in Khan Yunis blast, terrorist attached IED to vehicle, Hamas Is Losing Every Battle in Gaza. It Still Thinks It Could Win the War.

Timeline

Magnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bomb Key Events

  1. British No. 74 issued

    Imperial War Museums records the No. 74 Mk I sticky bomb as issued to the British Home Guard and Army in 1941 before later obsolescence.

  2. Iraq sticky IED reporting

    NBC News carried Washington Post reporting that Iraqi and U.S. officials saw rising use of magnetically attached sticky IEDs in Iraq.

  3. Kabul sticky-bomb campaign reported

    AP described sticky bombs attached to cars in Kabul during escalating late-war violence in Afghanistan.

  4. Khan Yunis Puma APC blast

    The Jerusalem Post reported that a Hamas fighter attached an IED to an Israeli Puma-style troop transport vehicle in Khan Yunis.

Media

Magnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bomb Images

Magnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bomb, Improvised explosive device, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: Vehicle search training session led by Combined Joint Task Force Paladin
Magnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bomb, Improvised explosive device, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: Sticky Bomb production of the No 74 Grenade in Britain, 1943 D14771.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
Molotov cocktails, Hand-thrown improvised incendiary weapon, MunitionsMunitionsMolotov cocktailsHand-thrown improvised incendiary weaponMolotov cocktails are hand-thrown improvised incendiary weapons built around a breakable container and ignition source, but wartime examples range from ad hoc bottles to semi-standardized military incendiary grenades. The cataloged conflict record now spans U.S. Marine use during Fallujah house-clearing in the 2003 Iraq War, IS-aligned militant use against Philippine troops in Marawi, and Ukrainian volunteer production and distribution during the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion.
Improvised drones, Improvised military drone class, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsImprovised dronesImprovised military drone classImprovised drones are locally modified or field-assembled uncrewed aerial systems built from commercial quadcopters, FPV airframes, agricultural-drone parts, and workshop-made payload fittings. The record tracks a distributed weapon class rather than one factory model: Islamic State, Ukrainian and Russian forces, Hamas, Israeli units in Gaza, and Myanmar armed actors all adapted small UAVs for reconnaissance, bomb drops, assault support, and low-cost strike roles.

Sources

United Nations Improvised Explosive Device Disposal StandardsPublisher: United Nations Mine Action Service | Note: Supports the general definition of improvised explosive devices and common disposal terminology relevant to magnetic or adhesive IEDs. | Accessed: 2026-06-29IED LexiconPublisher: United Nations Mine Action Service | Note: Supports the improvised explosive device terminology and the non-standard component basis for sticky bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Use of 'sticky IEDs' rising in IraqPublisher: NBC News | Note: Supports 2003 Iraq War direct conflict-use: the report says Iraqi insurgents used magnetically attached sticky IEDs against Iraqi official, army, police, judicial, media, and local-leader vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Sticky bombs latest weapon in Afghanistan's arsenal of warPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct conflict-use: the report describes sticky bombs slapped onto cars in Kabul and explains the magnet, explosive box, and mobile-phone trigger pattern. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Seven IDF soldiers killed in Khan Yunis blast, terrorist attached IED to vehiclePublisher: The Jerusalem Post | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use: the report says a Hamas fighter attached an improvised explosive device to an Israeli Puma-style troop transport vehicle in Khan Yunis. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Hamas Is Losing Every Battle in Gaza. It Still Thinks It Could Win the War.Publisher: The Wall Street Journal | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use: the report says a Hamas fighter used a sticky bomb by attaching it to an Israeli tank in Khan Younis. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Grenade, Anti-tank, No 74 Mk I ('Sticky Bomb')Publisher: Imperial War Museums | Note: Supports the No. 74 Mk I sticky bomb background, dimensions, adhesive construction, five-second delay, 1941 issue, and Second World War period context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Rusafa leaders visit forensics lab DVIDS301827.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a U.S. Army public-domain photo showing a magnetic improvised explosive device, commonly known as a sticky bomb. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Vehicle search training session led by Combined Joint Task Force PaladinPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a U.S. Department of Defense public-domain photo showing a simulated magnetic improvised explosive device found inside a truck. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Sticky Bomb production of the No 74 Grenade in Britain, 1943 D14771.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing page for a 1943 British Ministry of Information photograph showing No. 74 sticky bombs being fitted into protective casings. | Accessed: 2026-06-29