Blackout Bomb: Air Force's High-Powered Microwave Weapons Fry Enemy Equipment

An experimental stealth weapon could blind enemy surveillance

By Susannah F. Locke Posted 07.30.2009 at 11:36 am 9 Comments

Blackout Bomb: Graham Murdoch

In modern warfare, where missions are sometimes over in minutes, a blind enemy is a defeated enemy. The electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear weapon detonated miles aboveground would zap an army’s surveillance equipment, but not without causing heavy collateral damage. Instead, a new Air Force tool will fry electronics using high-power microwaves emitted by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

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The U.S. Air Force recently secured $40 million for the project, and while program leader Robert Torres will confirm successful ground and in-flight tests of an earlier device, he’s tight-lipped on future details. Edl Schamiloglu, a high-power microwave expert at the University of New Mexico, speculates that the weapon would focus microwaves on a target, where they would induce a power surge in unshielded wires, destroying circuits in satellite dishes, radars and anything else electronic. This would clear the way for troops or airstrikes and could even wipe out gear in hidden bunkers.

A UAV, such as Boeing’s upcoming stealth Phantom Ray, will probably be the conveyance of choice, because it can fly into enemy territory without risking a pilot’s life. This raises a challenge for powering the instrument, Schamiloglu says. Although a UAV’s small engine could provide some power, it will take high-capacity batteries to produce the gigawatt microwave pulses. Torres will say that he expects a prototype to be ready for flight tests in 2012, during which his team will adjust the beam to ensure that it inflicts damage only on the target.

Click here to launch the gallery for more on how it works

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9 Comments

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ultimatenerd22

07/30/09 at 11:39 am

is there one i can give to a friend to fry his electronics out?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEUWrj7SyPk

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pheonix1012

07/30/09 at 1:13 pm

Now this is something the military needs more of. This'll really destroy the enemy's will to fight.

"Welcome! to the Federation Starship SS Buttcrack!!!"

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Ternesto

07/30/09 at 4:34 pm

Future prediction:

Police departments will eventually get a hold of a scaled down version of this technology and use it to stop your electric car during a car chase or what ever other reason they see fit. They will take no responsibility for damage done to your car of course.

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rpenri

07/30/09 at 11:55 pm

Ternesto

Because initiating a dangerous maneuver such as the PIT maneuver is a lot less dangerous than your car just dying and rolling to a stop, right?

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Biopyro

07/31/09 at 6:13 am

"unsheilded wires"
Once the enemy catch on, all they need to do is wrap their electronics in tinfoil!

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animemaster

07/31/09 at 11:08 am

Every time I microwave my laptop it breaks, I figured if it froze it needed to be warmed up and microwaves warm things up fast. But apparently that doesn't help much. Good thing they sell a super accident warranty thing.

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caradoc01

07/31/09 at 5:14 pm

phoenix1012 sarcasm aside this what the military needs, it will reduce the number of human lives lost, albeit those lives are our soldiers lives saved could be argued that it will be out weighed by an increase in enemies lives lost.

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hershko

08/01/09 at 3:01 pm

Stealth weapon is a great and important weapon, but I prefer weapon that can cause shock and will leave the enemy unharmed.
Aircraft electrical systems technician
dordor77@netvision.net.il

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QuietStormX

08/02/09 at 5:15 pm

I'm wondering if the Military will be scared to use this new weapon system. Remember the heat ray weapon for crowds. It worked but the brass got chicken??? These old people with no imagination. The engineers and designers plus the tools now and on the way. If we can dream and build it, use it.