EMP Missile Is No Longer Science-Fiction

[The_Darkness]

Woah woah woah. I may be over-reacting here but: how strong are these "high power microwaves"? Because if this is an EMP weapon that also makes a human look like a chicago town pizza (or some other, less exagerrated health risk) then we can't exactly refer to it as non-lethal, can we?

 

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Technically, development of non-nuclear EMP munitions has been going on for a long time. This technology is still most certainly not ready to be fielded, despite ongoing research by both the United States and Russia.

Aside form that, I hardly see that this would actually be super cost-effective. If the EMP warhead uses high explosives to generate a shockwave (high-explosive propelled flux compression generator), or any other non-nuclear method, then the blast radius of the pulse will probably be less than superb. At that point, would it not just be easier to use a proper explosive warhead to destroy anything in the kill zone?

 

[omicron1]

Question is, are Faraday cages going to become the next hot item in near-future warfare?

All in all, though, this is cool. Should've been kept a secret, though, until its first use. Surprise is a powerful weapon, too.

I don't think you realize what a faraday cage actually is/does. a faraday cage is a metal structure created out of metal (typically iron, or steel) rods that when placed at given distances from each other create a wall for high frequency waves. much like a cell phone, and other radio frequency based systems.

this is based on the principle that the rods reflect the steady signal back on itself, and create interference in the form of noise. this does not stop the waves from passing through the "wall" it just causes interference from clear/constant signal. and realistically most building constructed after the 1990s technically are feraday cages because of the amount of re-bar the is required by building codes for all structures taller then 3 stories, and different compositions of buildings were probably included in the test (to see what if anything could block/minimize it)

Ok, then, we're all doomed.

Second comment about secrecy still holds, though.

 

[Leemaster777]

Technically, development of non-nuclear EMP munitions has been going on for a long time. This technology is still most certainly not ready to be fielded, despite ongoing research by both the United States and Russia.

Aside form that, I hardly see that this would actually be super cost-effective. If the EMP warhead uses high explosives to generate a shockwave (high-explosive propelled flux compression generator), or any other non-nuclear method, then the blast radius of the pulse will probably be less than superb. At that point, would it not just be easier to use a proper explosive warhead to destroy anything in the kill zone?

Perhaps, if the goal of the mission is to destroy anything in the kill zone. But that's exactly the point of this EMP missile, it's to knock out electronics WITHOUT causing collateral damage. If they ever needed to knock out the communications of an enemy within a densely-populated area, you can't just go and bomb everything.

Personally, I think this is a really cool achievement. And since SOMEONE'S going to post it sooner or later, obligatory Starcraft Ghost reference:

 

[DugMachine]

Neat. Take out data centers without bombing them to hell? I think yes.

 

[DaMan1500]

Today I learned EMP missles weren't a thing until recently.

 

[gardian06]

snip...
Personally, I think this is a really cool achievement. And since SOMEONE'S going to post it sooner or later, obligatory Starcraft Ghost reference:

hey didn't the science vessel from Starcraft 1 have an actual EMP missle?

 

[Leemaster777]

snip...
Personally, I think this is a really cool achievement. And since SOMEONE'S going to post it sooner or later, obligatory Starcraft Ghost reference:

hey didn't the science vessel from Starcraft 1 have an actual EMP missle?

...shit, you're right. I completely forgot about that. Let us never speak of this fail again.

 

[rvdm88]

Gotta love that rear computer barfing out a still spinning cd after the blast hits...
Though i am wondering, is this just a "stun" or does it actually wreck all electronic equipment caught in the blast?

 

[cerebus23]

now all the US has to do is create an imaginary money making machine...


...oh wait...

Well the world can help us out by removing our IMF status that would stop that printing press overnight and our government would be bankrupt.

Maybe we can get back to a currency actually based on something real like the gold standard or platinum.

 

[lancar]

I like it.
We'll need this stuff to secure victory from our oppressive robot overlords once they've taken over the planet and locked us into the Matrix.

 

[Baresark]

Sounds like the only sure fire method for people to be free of this particular threat is to just start nuking each other now. GOGOGO! Seriously though, countries with older infrastructure will probably be much better off against this than most first world nations would be.

 

[Godhead]

I'm still waiting on those proton torpedoes Boeing.

Spoiler: captcha

klatu berada nikto. Daphuq

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

I very much approve of this. It is incredibly cool tech, and I actually think it could save a lot of lives in future warfare on both sides... so long as they don't start firing them at Hospitals to take out people's life-support and whatnot, and stick to targets of actual military significance.

 

[Sean951]

now all the US has to do is create an imaginary money making machine...


...oh wait...

Well the world can help us out by removing our IMF status that would stop that printing press overnight and our government would be bankrupt.

Maybe we can get back to a currency actually based on something real like the gold standard or platinum.

And limit money in circulation to approximately $1,000,000,000,000? No thanks. We have a GDP that is currently at 15 times that.

 

[Gilhelmi]

I told people that these were only a few years away. "why protect against EMP, it sounds like science fiction anyway". Well whose bunker is EMP resistant? Not me because I do not have one yet, I swear. I do not have one.

But now I look less crazy, Yaaa.

 

[Gilhelmi]

now all the US has to do is create an imaginary money making machine...


...oh wait...

Well the world can help us out by removing our IMF status that would stop that printing press overnight and our government would be bankrupt.

Maybe we can get back to a currency actually based on something real like the gold standard or platinum.

And limit money in circulation to approximately $1,000,000,000,000? No thanks. We have a GDP that is currently at 15 times that.

Sadly you are correct. Unless we strongly deflate the dollar, but that will not happen.

 

[Aureliano]

So basically, it causes almost all the social devastation of a nuclear device without actually killing anyone or, more importantly, giving the people who deploy it the moral stigma of murdering buttloads of people. Hooray! Now if we can just keep this from getting into the hands of any country run by socially backwards people who fear change or technology of any kind...shit.

Put magnetic shielding onto your hard drives, people! They're coming for your porn!

 

[Rocket Taco]

Technically, development of non-nuclear EMP munitions has been going on for a long time. This technology is still most certainly not ready to be fielded, despite ongoing research by both the United States and Russia.

Aside form that, I hardly see that this would actually be super cost-effective. If the EMP warhead uses high explosives to generate a shockwave (high-explosive propelled flux compression generator), or any other non-nuclear method, then the blast radius of the pulse will probably be less than superb. At that point, would it not just be easier to use a proper explosive warhead to destroy anything in the kill zone?

This. EMP weapons tech has been doable forever. It's not even very difficult, you can build a small one from off-the-shelf parts for $500 US, minus explosives. And nuclear EMP has been possible since the first ballistic missiles.

The area of effect theoretically greatly exceeds the initial pulse zone, however - inductive currents generated in local infrastructure (power lines, phone lines, even metallic pipe) can propagate the EM wave for miles, usually directly into the equipment it's meant to damage.