Ah, the beloved “electronic bomb,” ready to disable all technology in its vicinity: variations at the concept go long ago , but useful prototypes remain tantalizingly out of reach. Into the breach steps defense contractor BAE Systems, taking a fresh crack with a High-Powered Microwave (HPM) gun intended to disable small boat engines – if successful, the technology can also target ships, UAVs, and missile payloads. The name of the game-shrouded weapon sounds rather like Boeing’s planned airborne EMP weapon , but lacking the missile delivery systems. BAE appears to be betting big on electromagnetic warfare as a future battlefield tactic, with a manager pitching the sci-fi scene to Aviation Week :
“Unlike lasers, HPM beams don’t want a lot of accuracy. With a fan [of HPM energy] you are able to target 10-30 small boats. In case you can knock out 50-75% of the engines in a swarm, you could then focus on the rest with lasers or kinetic [cannons].”
To develop better defenses against such attacks, the contractor received $150,000 from the Air Force to check-fire microwaves at military computers. No word on whether said defenses involve generous use of tin foil.
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