vunerability is outstanding

correct me if im wrong but there is such an invention as and electric pulse thingy that renders all electrical equipment within a certain visinity...? if there is such a weapon i think it would be the US biggest threat, since it would incapasitate our entire country! we would be blind and paralyzed. yall know wat im talkin bout?

ok here i found the goods....science.howstuffworks.com... pretty interesting lets just hope terrorist dont get one of these things

is this electromagnetic pulse weapons you are talking about,,couse this weapons have the ability to fry electronics depending on the size of the bomb or method of deployment..

[Edited on 22-5-2004 by wararts]

they wont effect missile or very important sites because they are shielded from an emp

I heard EMP shielding doesn't work well enough...and some weapons systems are bound to fail,.

An EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) is a wave of energy generated when there is a large violent distubance in the atmosphere (explosion or implosion). This wave of electrical energy rides the shockwave of the explosion increasing in magnitude as it picks up stripped electrons created by the force of the shockwave created by the explosion or implosion. The first man made EMP was created during atomic weapons testing. These tests actually affected power in Hawaii. Today there are plans for an EMP bomb that uses a smaller explosive charge and coils to amplify the energy (this is what they have released to the scientific community).

Now how does an EMP affect electrical systems?
Well contrary to popular belief, EMP will not temperaily disable normal electronics (most of out gov't's electronics are hardened to prevent affects of EMP). They will destroy them. What happens is this wave of electric energy formed by the shockwave searches for the easiest way to disipate itself. And since metal is a better conductor than air, this electrical charge will affect electronic stuff more than anything else. It is sort of like a power surge but on a much higher scale. Fuses , curcit breakers and surge protectors wont save ur electronic because there is so much energy it is enough to jump. A strong EMP can fuse electronics, melt wiring and blow out motors. Now the range of an EMP is not very far but nowadays with all the high tension electric wires streching the nation creates one giant pathway, one EMP can do ALOT of damage.

[Edited on 22-5-2004 by wararts]

[Edited on 22-5-2004 by wararts]

Originally posted by wararts


Now how does an EMP affect electrical systems?
Well contrary to popular belief, EMP will not temperaily disable normal electronics (most of out gov't's electronics are hardened to prevent affects of EMP). They will destroy them. What happens is this wave of electric energy formed by the shockwave searches for the easiest way to disipate itself. And since metal is a better conductor than air, this electrical charge will affect electronic stuff more than anything else. It is sort of like a power surge but on a much higher scale. Fuses , curcit breakers and surge protectors wont save ur electronic because there is so much energy it is enough to jump. A strong EMP can fuse electronics, melt wiring and blow out motors. Now the range of an EMP is not very far but nowadays with all the high tension electric wires streching the nation creates one giant pathway, one EMP can do ALOT of damage.

So just for clarification...no matter what hardening you have EMP will damage or destroy within a certain range?

The trick is to find a path of dissapation for the EMP wave that is easier than passing through circuitry. A "Faraday Cage" is a grounded wire mesh that surrounds important components and protects them from EMP.

There are still problems with the pulse traveling down the power chord to your device, although faraday-like countermeasures exist for that, as well as air vents. Modems are a problem, and high secure facilities use a translator outside the cage, which converts the electrical pulses to infrared light, and beams them to a receiver within the cage. An EMP pulse on the communication line would stop at burning up the outer unit in the pair.

Of course, if you are within the 'footprint' of an EMP, even saving your own computer will not save the transformer in your neighborhood, or the local power plant.

In fact, in most urban environments, there is SO MUCH electronica that even the strongest E-bomb would have a limited damage radius, because every ruined piece of hardware dissapates the force. But Manhattan or Chicago, in the securities districts, would seem like sitting ducks for an E-bomb. The actual blast damage would be minimal. Everything that works by electricity, from your wristwatch on up, would need to be replaced, once the fires are extinguished.

OK what about conventional weapons systems like Warships/AFVs/Jets/Helos, would they be similarly effected? What about a jets/Helos in flight?

Originally posted by psteel
OK what about conventional weapons systems like Warships/AFVs/Jets/Helos, would they be similarly effected? What about a jets/Helos in flight?

Aren't most of these shielded too? Oherwise the aircraft would literally drop out of the sky, and the warship would be useless, just a floating lump.

Originally posted by minimi

Originally posted by psteel
OK what about conventional weapons systems like Warships/AFVs/Jets/Helos, would they be similarly effected? What about a jets/Helos in flight?

Aren't most of these shielded too? Oherwise the aircraft would literally drop out of the sky, and the warship would be useless, just a floating lump.

My understanding is that they would be effected...within certain radius [footprint?]

Originally posted by psteel

Originally posted by wararts


Now how does an EMP affect electrical systems?
Well contrary to popular belief, EMP will not temperaily disable normal electronics (most of out gov't's electronics are hardened to prevent affects of EMP). They will destroy them. What happens is this wave of electric energy formed by the shockwave searches for the easiest way to disipate itself. And since metal is a better conductor than air, this electrical charge will affect electronic stuff more than anything else. It is sort of like a power surge but on a much higher scale. Fuses , curcit breakers and surge protectors wont save ur electronic because there is so much energy it is enough to jump. A strong EMP can fuse electronics, melt wiring and blow out motors. Now the range of an EMP is not very far but nowadays with all the high tension electric wires streching the nation creates one giant pathway, one EMP can do ALOT of damage.

So just for clarification...no matter what hardening you have EMP will damage or destroy within a certain range?

yes emp will probably effect most electronics no matter the hardening it has..

About ten years ago, I read about Air Force One's defensive systems. One thing that was mentioned was EMP-"proof" chips made from germanium or gallium - I'm not quite sure which. Of course, this would be coupled with hefty amounts of other shielding as already discussed.

Originally posted by Lampyridae
About ten years ago, I read about Air Force One's defensive systems. One thing that was mentioned was EMP-"proof" chips made from germanium or gallium - I'm not quite sure which. Of course, this would be coupled with hefty amounts of other shielding as already discussed.

most goverment vehicles have very good hardening for emp..

About ten years ago, I read about Air Force One's defensive systems. One thing that was mentioned was EMP-"proof" chips made from germanium or gallium - I'm not quite sure which. Of course, this would be coupled with hefty amounts of other shielding as already discussed.

i dont know but that stuff sounds expensive! it would take an exorbitant amount of money to sheild every f-22. but who knows mabye they have...

I dunno how to say this without sounding like the bad guy, but I don't think there is any real protection against an em pulse...it just totally fries everything electronic and since it doesn't travel in waves, (at least I dont think so and I could be wrong, I just cant imagine an em pulse as wavy since waves bounce...and an em pulse doesn't bounce...it washes over and goes through) I think it will go through most anything...but again I could be wrong, its just my opinion and I'm no expert.



[Edited on 25-5-2004 by Hard Red]

Building on the ABRES experience, the NIKE-X system that emerged in 1963-64 was a revolutionary advance in ABM technologies combining a powerful, multi-aperture phased array radar (MAR), an IBM 360 type computer, and a high acceleration missile (SPRINT) for low altitude intercepts. NIKE-X was designed against MIRVs with high performance RVs, while the computer and the SPRINT interceptor took advantage of atmospheric filtering to discriminate precision engineered decoys and other countermeasures. The MAR radar combined battle management, target and interceptor tracking functions and was highly resistant to nuclear effects. The only high confidence way to overcome the NIKE-X system was to exhaust the stock of interceptors with real RVs

www.fas.org...

On the prowl to read some of Psteel's posts but that should make one wonder what is possible today.

Stellar