Anybody know what's up with conventional EMP generators?
Chris Mann
From Chris Mann <hbpo...@huey.csun.edu>
Hi all,
I was just curious if anybody had any information on
a tactical conventionally powered electro-magnetic-pulse generator
to fry enemy electronics? If a powerful one could be developed,
it would revolutionize warfare on the digital/electronic battlefield!
(I heard about it in the September 12 Aviation Week & Space Technology.
The DOD is supposed to be working on one, but it was reported that there
was a small problem with the power source.) Thanks in advance for the help.
Deane
Cris Hutto
From Cris Hutto <hu...@albany.mitre.org>
Your question specifically addresses EMP weapons. I worked for a while in the
counter-EMP arena. Thought this might be of interest.
The Army, Navy, and Air Force all have (or have had) EMP generators for
testing the electromagnetic vulnerability of our military hardware.
The Navy facilities include:
TES (TACAMO EMP System) at Patuxent River NAS, Md, for testing Naval aircraft.
This is a HPD (horizontally-polarized dipole) antennae. It looks a lot like
a giant slinky.
NAVES (Navy EMP Simulator) also at Patuxent River NAS, Md. This is a VPD
(vertically-polarized dipole) antennae. They also have a continuous wave
facility at this site. NAVES and TES and both maintained by the Naval
Air Test Center.
EMPRESS (EMP Radiation Environment Simulator for Ships) at Solomons Island, Md.
This system uses a horizontally-oriented linear antennae to test ships tied
alongside a pier.
EMPRESS II (mothballed at Chettam Annex, VA) is a barge with a VPD
antennae mounted on it. The barge was towed at sea while a ship
undergoing tests moved at various aspects and distances to it. EMPRESS and
EMPRESS II are maintained by the Naval Surface Warface Center, although
I believe this center has been renamed, or possibly merged with another
center.
The Air Force facilities include:
Tinker Air Force Base at Oklahoma City, OK has a VPD antennae that was
damaged by a CIA C-130 some years ago. I'm sure it was repaired.
Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM has a VPD antennae.
I've forgotten where the Army facility is.
The EMPRESS II pulser put out about 15 KV/m at the source. The frequency
range we tested was below 80 MHz. I don't remember the low end.
These similators are all for nuclear effects testing. A nuclear air
burst is supposed to put out a hefty dose of EMR (electromagnetic
radiation) that would fry any unshielded electronics equipment.
Maxwell Industries makes most of these pulsers. They might be able to provide
you with more about their pulser capabilities.
Cris
--
-Cris Hutto (hu...@milner.mitre.org)
dave pierson
From dave pierson <pie...@cimcad.enet.dec.com>
In article <Cwr4r...@ranger.daytonoh.ncr.com>, Chris Mann
<hbpo...@huey.csun.edu> writes...
> I was just curious if anybody had any information on
>a tactical conventionally powered electro-magnetic-pulse generator
>to fry enemy electronics?
Not specifically.
>If a powerful one could be developed, it would revolutionize warfare on the
>digital/electronic battlefield!
Maybe so. But it is not hard to harden electronics against EMP. Mil
electronics are, already. The spec to do so has existed for a decade,
probably more, since thats the public document. Public/fictional
accounts of EMP effectiveness have a tendency to be overblown & not
technically correct. Making large EMP is non trivial.
thanks
dave pierson |the facts, as accurately as i can manage,
Digital Equipment Corporation |the opinions, my own.
200 Forest St |I am the NRA.
Marlboro, Mass 01751 |pie...@msd26.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing." A J Raffles
Peter Henry
From Peter Henry <74206...@compuserve.com>
The Army EMP Test site is at Harry Diamond Labs, which is in
Maryland (or Virginia).
Suzanne Cornwall
From Suzanne Cornwall <sjco...@unmc.edu>
dave pierson (pie...@cimcad.enet.dec.com) wrote:
: From dave pierson <pie...@cimcad.enet.dec.com>
: In article <Cwr4r...@ranger.daytonoh.ncr.com>, Chris Mann
: <hbpo...@huey.csun.edu> writes...
: > I was just curious if anybody had any information on
: >a tactical conventionally powered electro-magnetic-pulse generator
: >to fry enemy electronics?
Just my $0.02... Here in Omaha, I just saw a newspaper filler article
about a new device being purchased by the cops. It's a remotely
triggered pulse generator they can throw onto or in front of a car being
pursued, then they set it off and it "generates an electrical pulse
strong enough to destroy the car's electronic ignition system". Sorry, I
tossed the paper and I can't recall the brand name or manufacturer.
(AP Feed). --Jim--
: thanks
: dave pierson |the facts, as accurately as i can manage,
: Digital Equipment Corporation |the opinions, my own.
: 200 Forest St |I am the NRA.
: Marlboro, Mass 01751 |pie...@msd26.enet.dec.com
: "He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing." A J Raffles
--
************************************************************
*** Suzanne Cornwall ==> sjco...@netserv.unmc.edu ***
*** Jim Cornwall ==> corn...@j64.stratcom.af.mil ***
*** (spousal unit) ***
************************************************************
Richard Bell
From rlb...@coulomb.uwaterloo.ca (Richard Bell)
Battlefield EMP generators will probably be powerful one shot devices.
This will allow them to be powered by explosively compressed coils (which can
convert up to 25% of the explosives energy to electricity). The other
advantage of going for a one shot device is that you no longer have to figure
out how to make the device small, and still dissipate its waste heat.
Making a device that can fire more than once greatly increases the
required robustness. All of the EMP test facilities fall into this category,
they are very large and mounted in permenant locations or a very large barge.
Allison Scott MacEachern
From mace...@acs.ucalgary.ca (Allison Scott MacEachern)
In a special _International Defense Review_ article on non-lethal
weapons this summer, author wrote that the US is testing
explosive-driven EMP generators derived from Russian technology
on cruise missiles -- presumably as a way of attacking C3I
centres and so on.
Scott MacEachern
Jean-Marc Bourgeois
From bour...@ireq.hydro.qc.ca (Jean-Marc Bourgeois)
In article <Cx3w...@ranger.daytonoh.ncr.com>, mace...@acs.ucalgary.ca
(Allison Scott MacEachern) wrote:
EMP generator means probably an ElectroMagnetic Pulse generator. That pulse
wave will blow Up most of the stategic electronic gaget around ( radio
communication equipment, computer, etc...)
--
Jean-Marc Bourgeois
Hydro-Quebec IREQ
bour...@ireq.hydro.qc.ca