TECHNICAL SEMINAR PRESENTATION ON
ELECTROMAGNETIC
WEAPONS
BY
SATYAJIT DALBEHERA
(1SG07EE045)
INTRODUCTION
Desert Storm Counter-C3 operations relied on
air power and precision guided munitions.
Future campaigns will require more suitable
weapons to achieve shock effect over large
target sets with small attacking forces.
Electromagnetic weapons can perform such a
role.
Electromagnetic weapon is a weapon of
electrical mass destruction(WEMD)
BASIC PRINCIPLE
THE EMP EFFECT
The Electromagnetic Pulse is in effect an
electromagnetic shock wave.
This pulse of energy produces a powerful
electromagnetic field, particularly within the vicinity of
the weapon burst.
The field can be sufficiently strong to produce short lived
transient voltages of thousands of Volts (i.e.kilovolts) on
exposed electrical conductors, such as wires, or
conductive tracks on printed circuit boards, where
exposed.
TECHNOLOGY BASE OF E-WEAPON
Key technologies which are extant in the area are
Explosively pumped Flux Compression
Generators (FCG)
Explosive or propellant driven Magneto-
Hydrodynamic (MHD) generators.
A range of HPM devices, the foremost of which
is the Virtual Cathode Oscillator or Vircator.
THE PHYSICS OF FCG
Fast explosive compresses a magnetic field
Compression transfers mechanical energy into
the magnetic field
Peak currents of Mega Amperes demonstrated
in many experiments
FCG OPERATION
External power source pumps FCG winding
with start current
When start current peaks, explosive lense fired
to initiate explosive burn
Explosive pressure expands armature and
creates moving short
Moving armature compresses magnetic field
HIGH POWER MICROWAVE(HMP)
SOURCES
Higher lethality than low frequency FCG fields,
many device types
Relativistic Klystrons
Magnetrons
Slow Wave Devices
Reflex Triodes
Virtual Cathode Oscillators (vircators)
VIRCATOR PHYSICS
Relativistic electron beam punches through foil
or mesh anode.
”Virtual” cathode formed by space charge
bubble behind anode.
Peak power of tens of GW for 100s of nsec.
Anode typically melts in about 1 usec.
Cheap and simple to manufacture.
Wide bandwidth.
OPERATION OF E-WEAPONS
MODES OF COUPLING
FRONTDOOR COUPLING
BACKDOOR COUPLING
TARGETING THE E-BOMB
GLOBAL POSITIONING
SYSTEM(GPS)
EMITTER LOCATING
SYSTEM(ELS)
DUE TO UNINTENTIONAL
EMISSION(UE)
DEPLOYING THE E-BOMB
CRUISE MISSILE AIRFRAME
CONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT
LETHALITY OF E-WEAPONS
DAMAGE INFLICTED ON
ELECTRONICS EQUIPMENTS
SMALL SIZE-
VULNERABILITY
THERMAL BREAKDOWN
FAILURE
OVERALL EFFECT
EFFECT ON HUMAN BEINGS
USE OF PACEMAKER OR
ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC
IMPLANT
SIDE LOBE OF BEAM
COLLATERAL DAMAGE
GPS GUIDED BOMB KITS
GENERAL ARRANGMENT
PROTECTION AGAINST E-WEAPON
FARADAY CAGE
E-BUNKERS
SITE HARDENING
USE OF MOTOR
POWER ISOLATORS
FOR MAINS POWER
DISTRIBUTION
APPLICATION OF E-WEAPONS
These E-Weapons are basically used in military
sectors,they are used in
Electronic combat
Strategic warfare
Theatre warfare
Punitive missions
E-WEAPON ADVANTAGES IN
STRATEGIC WARFARE
Not lethal to humans
Negligible collateral damage
High tempo campaigns possible due the
powerful “shock” effect of using a WEMD
No mass media coverage of bombing casualties
(broadcast eqpt destroyed) will reduce the
threshold for the use of strategic air power and
missile forces
LIMITATIONS OF E-WEAPONS
WEAPON
IMPLEMENTATION
MEANS OF
DELIVERY
KILL ASSESSMENT
CONCLUSION
E-Weapon is a WEMD
High payoff in using E-Weapons against
fundamental infrastructure, resulting in substantial
paralysis
E-Weapons will become a decisive capability in
Strategic Warfare and Electronic Combat
E-Weapons are a non-lethal weapon
The critical issues for the next decade are the
deployment of E-Weapons and the hardening of
fundamental infrastructure
REFERENCES
AAP1000 - RAAF, DI(AF) AAP1000, The Air Power Manual, Second Edition, RAAF
APSC, Canberra,
1994
AAP1003 - RAAF, DI(AF) AAP1003, Ch.8 The Law of Aerial Targeting, Operations Law
for RAAF Commanders,
First Edition, RAAF APSC, Canberra, 1994
AFM1-1 - Basic Aerospace Doctrine of the United States Air Force, Air Force Manual 1-
1, Volume 1,
March 1992.
CAIRD85 - Caird R.S. et al, Tests of an Explosive Driven Coaxial Generator, Digest of
Technical Papers,
5th IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, pp.220, IEEE, New York, 1985.
DIXON84 - Dixon R.C., Spread Spectrum Systems, John Wiley and Sons, New York,
1984.
FANTHOME89 - Fanthome B.A., MHD Pulsed Power Generation, Digest of Technical
Papers, 7th IEEE
