

CHAMP fries electronics with microwaves





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RE: Cool
By Cr0nJ0b on 9/22/2011 6:35:53 PM , Rating: 2
I read this to mean that the missile could be controlled in flight to the target, and then I assumed that the burst would take out all electronics, including the missile systems...leading to a falling hunk of love for some unlucky soul near the target. I could be wrong, but the article doesn't specifically say that the missile would return or be operable after hitting the target.

Additionally, I would think that if it was possible to equip a drone with technology like this, then they would do it, and they would also put it on planes and helicopters too...but again, my assumption is that like an EMP, one it goes off...the lights go out everywhere.

RE: Cool
By Starzty on 9/22/2011 7:36:06 PM , Rating: 2
Unless the process destroys the missile by design it seems like they could make enough hardware to return hardened. If some more powerful equipment necessary for initial guidance got fried at least a good deal of the missile could return or guide itself away. If it couldn't reacquire signal it could self-destruct but it seems like a waste to give up on it or avoid UAV applications because of a microwave pulse that couldn't be rougher than what satellites experience regularly.

RE: Cool
By Bad-Karma on 9/23/2011 3:18:00 AM , Rating: 2
The amount of microwave energy needed to overload and or fry electronics is quite immense even at close ranges. When a telephone pole mounted transformer "pops" it emits a small EMP that only has about a 10-20ft radius. So if this missile is able to carry that amount of destructive power then you wouldn't want to be anywhere near it when it goes off. Either way it's still going to have to get very close to its target to deliver the pulse. Add to that it's own electronics would be toasted as well, so there isn't a whole lot of potential to recover the missile after its use.

So if you hang that much energy on a plane or UAV then you risk knocking out its own systems. People will argue that you could just simply shield the plane, but not only is that a lot of added weight but you may not every be able to get enough shielding to compensate for the affects for this level of EMI. Big heavy strategic bombers are some of the few planes with the lift capacity to allow shielding.

Think of it in these terms, you go after a Integrated Air Defense site with one of these. The missile flies to it's target and then sets of the EMP micro-seconds before it impacts the radar antenna or communication vans. Regardless, of which it hits, anything electrically connected to the target gets zorched as well. Which is a "soft kill" to the site but repairs would be lengthy and extensive. By the time the site was operational again it contribution to the battle may be irrelevant.

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Only one man would dare give me the raspberry!

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This isn't ionizing radiation. Think electromagnetic pulse.


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Missle's are one way baby...

