ELECTRO MAGNETIC PULSE WEAPONS

Before going into the topic let me state our situation in this world. We are surrounded by the most sophisticated and hi tech micro processors and micro controller technology which controls the transport system finance electricity communication even cars hospitals are driven by them. We are suppose to known the  indispensable role played by these ELECTRICAL and electronic equipments. In the first place it is almost impossible for us to go back to our grandfather's generation leaving behind our micro processor generation.

ELECTRO MAGNETIC PULSE:

      So what's the relationship between the our advanced society and the electro magnetic pulse ? At this stage taking our advanced society into account these emps are the most deadliest and the most terrifying weapon of all ages as it has the potential to cause huge collateral and an infrastructural damage on the electronic components within the specified range capacity.

GENERATION:

           An electromagnetic pulse is a intense burst of electro magnetic energy that causes or can be used to cause damage to the electrical or electronical components the generation of the natural emps are noticed as a disturbance on the radio frequency during lightning and much more powerful emps are generated by solar geomagnetic stroms and artificially through nuclear explosion or non nuclear radio frequency weapons

CAUSES OF THE EMP:

        So what does these emps causes to us. The electric and the magnetic fields resulting from such intense emps induces damaging current and the voltage surge in the electrical or electronic systems burning their sensitive components such as semi conductors

ELECTRONIC WARFARE:

     

What's the relationship between these emp weapons and the electronic warfare first I would like to clarify that this is a nuclear weapon it can't create anything it can only lead to chaos. The basic definition of this electronic warfare is the action that includes the use of the  electromagnetic spectrum or the direct spectrum to controller the spectrum to attack the enemy but what's the relationship between emps and the electronic war they certainly do if in case we were about to face another war I can assure you the there won't be any people remaining to maintain peace because this is a age of the nuclear weapons and the plasma gun not merley killing people is war but even making them economically and phcycological  depressed is also a  kind war the EMP wepons gives you the whole new generation of war  were you don't bother about your enemies nuclear bombs  think of it  what is the use of having a nuclear bombs when you can't fire it up what can you do with your impenitrable thanks when you can't run them what's the use of having your aircraft when you can't fly what is the use of having lot of energy when you can't distribute it? What is the use of having cellphone when you can't operate it ? What's is the use of having a radar when you can't detect your enemies? These emps have a great potential of causing  havoc. Leaving you defence less the only thing that you can do is to sit tightly and beg your pardon.

SCIENCE FACT:

                      May be these weapons were imaginary for quite few long but for your disoppointment these are not science fiction anymore these are science fact can you belive it these catastrophic weapons are real.

CHAMP:

           

The concept of these emps came true when the counter electroincs high power microwave advanced missle project was launched. CHAMP is a joint concept technology demonstration lead by the afrl owned by united states. These CHAMP is superior to other electronic warfare weapons because it destroys electronics rather than jamming them which temporarily affects the systems that come back online when its stoped being applied.These CHAMP has been without violating the Intermediate Range nuclear forces treaty the best aircraft carry  the champ payload  is JASSMER CHAMP is capable of up to 100 shots per sortie Its size is about 6m that is 19.7ft in length champ represents the next generation electronic weapons. It consists of an unmaned  aerial vehicle with a payload hpem tec that uses high power radio frequency to inhibit the enemies electronic signals using a uav platform means CHAMP systems can enter any conflict zones without endangering airman and defeat enemy system without firing a shot These tec mark a new era in modern day wafare in the feature this tec may be used to render an enemies electronic and data  systems useless even before thr first troops is being deployed

BOEING:

Boeing has announced that it successfully tested an electromagnetic pulse missile capable of disabling electronics without affecting structures. The Counter-electronics High-powered Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) was tested by a Boeing Phantom Works/U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate team on October 16 at the Utah Test and Training Range.

Firing high-power microwave bursts at a multi-story structure containing electronic systems and devices, the drone-like weapon irreparably disabled the computers and electronics within seven targets in a one-hour period. The cameras recording the operation were also disabled.

CHAMP's High Power Microwave instrument that provided the disabling EMP blast is a product of Raytheon Ktech, who remotely viewed the operation. Telemetry and data from the test are now being analyzed further.

Though speculation exists surrounding the weapon’s effectiveness against military-hardened electronics, the prospects of its use are bright.

“This technology marks a new era in modern-day warfare,” said Keith Coleman, Boeing Phantom Works' CHAMP Program Manager. “In the near future, this technology may be used to render an enemy’s electronic and data systems useless even before the first troops or aircraft arrive.”

The CHAMP program is a three-year endeavor between Boeing and U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory that hopes to eventually produce five such EMP missiles.

HOW DOES CHAMP WORK? 

                   Electromagnetic energy is typically emitted in pulse form, which creates wideband frequency signals. Wideband signaling means that the frequencies of the content are wider than the scope of the relay channel, and it is often used in cases where there is a high volume of data or energy power being transferred. Raytheon’s task will be to determine the pulse width, or exactly how wide the wideband frequency should be, along with the timing of how often the system should emit the electromagnetic pulses.According to Raytheon, these calculations and experiments will essentially revolve around maximizing the amount of electromagnetic energy that reaches the enemy system.The electromagnetic pulse waves travel at the speed of light and penetrate the enemy electronic system through its antennae or satellite dishes, going straight to the internal electronics system. However, recently the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and industry developers have been focusing on back door methods, meaning that the electromagnetic pulse energy penetrates the enemy system through gaps in the external metal shielding or apertures and reaches the critical electrical circuits in a more nuanced way.

Once reaching the enemy system, the HPEM electronic energy pulse can disable it either directly or indirectly. A direct disabling effect occurs when the energy pulse is strong enough to overload the critical electrical circuits and cause the system permanent damage, report industry developers. Indirectly, the energy pulse might incorrectly activate some of the enemy system’s internal power mechanisms, which then cause the system to short out. Or, the energy pulse might simply cause one circuit to malfunction, but that malfunction could cause the system to provide false data or perform the wrong function.According to the AFRL, HPEM technology is already being examined for use in electronic warfare through projects such as the Counter-electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) and the Active Denial System (ADS).CHAMP represents the type of next generation HPEM and electronic warfare integration that Raytheon has been charged with expanding and improving. It consists of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a payload of HPEM technology that uses high power radio frequencies to inhibit enemy electronic signals. Using a UAV platform means that the CHAMP system can enter conflict zones without endangering airmen and defeat enemy systems without firing a shot, according to the AFRL.According to the Air Force, CHAMP was tested through the joint efforts of Boeing Phantom Works and the AFRL in October.Air Force researchers are now looking for Raytheon to be able to demonstrate the characteristics of HPEM technology that will allow it to be integrated with and enhance cyber and electronic warfare weapons systems at field experiments like Black Dart or Vigilant Hammer.Hosted by the Navy, these field exercises focused on missile defense and electronic warfare, respectively, and in the future would provide opportunities for experimenting with HPEM electronic jamming of missile sensors and other electronic systems.Raytheon was awarded a $10 million contract to conduct the HPEM electronic warfare integration experiments, along with Booz Allen Hamilton and CSRA LLC.Work is expected to be completed by 2020.

Military Employment:

EMP weapons could be used against military and civil targets alike. They have been called Day-1 weapons by some experts, as these are likely to be used as early as possible in war to maximize asymmetry over the adversary. Modern militaries are heavily reliant on advanced electronics. Even at the lowest levels, weapons, equipment, communication and data sets, among others, have some embedded electronics. At higher levels, naval ships, aircraft, artillery pieces, armoured vehicles, radars, military communication and data network, command and control centres, automated air defence (AD) weapon systems, etc., have substantial and critical electronic components.

Majority of the present day military equipment and networks are either insufficiently or not at all hardened against EMP. Therefore, at every level, militaries are vulnerable to EMP attacks. An e-bomb with a lethal radius of even a few kilometres could put out of action a deployed battalion-size force or a large number of airfield assets or a naval flotilla. The damage to the electronics will take considerable time to repair and the downtime of the affected combat systems may extend from a few hours to even months. Unserviceable combat systems and the absence of command and information systems are likely to result in prevalence of disorder and uncertainty, giving the offensive side a considerable advantage to wrest initial gains and turn the situation in its favour.

On their part, defending forces can foil enemy offensives by disrupting the latter’s control and coordination through the use of e-bombs. Given the rather limited radius of effectiveness of e-bombs, a large number of e-bombs would however be needed to cover the length and breadth of enemy forces in battle zones, including vital targets like war rooms, operation -centres, force headquarters, airfields, AD systems, etc. E-bombs could prove to be more effective than explosive bombs since they would not spare even the dugout or blast protected targets. A single wave EMP attack could considerably reduce the combat capability of a force. Even localised damage could have the potential to disrupt activity, especially if combined with other forms of attack. To ensure optimal use of own EMP weapons and deny a counter EMP strike opportunity to the enemy, militaries would need to devise tactics and strategies.

Besides military targets, a number of strategic civilian targets, like urban data and communication centres, stock exchanges, factories and other centres of gravity could also be attacked by e-bombs. Targets hardened against physical destruction or located amidst the civil population could be particularly vulnerable to e-bombs. With increasing networking and redundancies, however, data and communication facilities are becoming resilient against total annihilation.

EMP weapons could also be used clandestinely to take out important targets during peace time, when the use of conventional weapons would be considered outrageous, as it will be difficult to prove who exactly was responsible. Such incapacitating applications of EMP could also prove to be an effective deterrent against enemies contemplating military action.

Since information on e-bombs is kept highly secret, experts are unable to definitively gauge the extent of damage it may cause. Damage would depend a lot on the target characteristics also, for instance whether the electronics of the target are enclosed in metal, the percentage of electronic components in the target, exposure of metal cables, connection to power supply, terrain masking, etc. Likely damage could, however, be arrived at by conducting simulation and field testing.

The collateral damage potential of e-bombs, i.e. damage to electronics in hospitals, emergency services, etc., may make their use sinister and would need careful contemplation.

Countermeasures:

Faraday’s caging and metal encasing of systems and components is considered to be the most effective protection against EMP, besides physically destroying the weapon delivery platform itself.These are designed to divert and soak up the EMP. Additionally, electrical surge protection circuits and terrain masking could be useful. However, the costs of building EMP protected military systems or EMP hardening of all current systems is considered prohibitive by experts. It may be possible for only a few critical systems. At present, no infallible solution seems to be available against NNEMP.

Threat Appraisal:

The EMP threat has been a rising concern for all major powers, which have constituted high-level commissions and committees in the recent past to study the threat. Think tanks have also been engaged in discussing the issue. Deposing before the Defence committee in November 2011, the UK’s then Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Nick Harvey, stated that EMP ‘is certainly considered a potential threat. It is not considered a particularly likely one, certainly in the foreseeable future; but we keep that constantly under review.’ The US also keeps the threat under vigil and has also possibly evolved contingency plans.

India, with its hostile neighbourhood, should not discount facing an overt or clandestine use of NNEMP weapons during either peace or hostilities. Keeping a tab on their possible development in the neighbourhood may be prudent. For retaining combat capability in case of EMP attacks, building redundancies into important military structures and developing fibre-optic networking may be indispensable. Measures like cost-effective Faraday caging and shielding for frontline equipment may be studied.

According to a 2015 news report, India too had started work on EMP in 1985. The report stated:

‘According to publicly available information, KALI (Kilo Ampere Linear Injector) is a linear electron accelerator being developed in India, by Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). It is designed to work in such a way that if a missile is launched in India's direction, it will quickly emit powerful pulses of Relativistic Electrons Beams (REB). It damages the on-board electronic systems.

INDIA DEVELOPING EMP WEAPON:

                                   India through its Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is developing an EMP bomb to take out electronic circuits and communication networks of enemy forces, its chief and scientific advisor to the defense minister Avinash Chander said.

"It will be a weapon that would explore the strong electromagnetic field generating a brief but intense or high power pulse of electromagnetic energy," Chander told the Times of India.

The director general of DRDO said that the electromagnetic shock wave from the bomb will destroy electronic circuits and communication network "while paralyzing them in terms of radars, communication networking, information gathering sensors, controls and other electronic equipment."

Chander said the EMP device would give an option to the military as the bomb can target the enemy's mobile targets, air defense systems, mobile or static radars, naval vessels with communication systems and even ill-shielded communication or electronic systems at a military base. The GPS-guided EMP dombs would precede the conventional munitions for strategic air attacks and can cripple military units as weapons of electric destruction.

The director general of DRDO said that the electromagnetic shock wave from the bomb will destroy electronic circuits and communication network "while paralyzing them in terms of radars, communication networking, information gathering sensors, controls and other electronic equipment." Work is in full swing at the Research Centre Imarat, the Hyderabad-based laboratory of DRDO, to build the new bomb which will be ready for operational deployment within a few years.

Other DRDO officials said the E-bomb warheads can be delivered by combat aircraft equipped to deliver guided munitions and cruise missiles.

Chander also said DRDO was developing the next generation of smart bombs or guided bombs, which would have a longer range of upto 100 km (starting from 10s of kms)

and higher accuracy. "Smart bombs are basically precision guided munition equipped with electronic sensors, control system and adjustable flight fins for providing steering or gliding capacity to hit a designated target with much more accuracy," the DRDO chief said.

Conclusion

Major Western powers have confirmed the existence of NNEMP weapons. However, their effectiveness and likely success rate remains intangible since information on these matters remains classified. With the ease of development and low costs, these weapons are likely to proliferate and should be factored into war contingencies. India is vulnerable to EMP attacks, given the presence of technologically capable neighbouring rivals and adversaries. India should conduct a formal evaluation of the regional EMP threat and work towards building EMP resilient data and communication structures, both for civil and military requirements. There may also be a need to devise contingency plans and procedures for EMP attacks. Looking at the advantages and practical employability of e-bombs, India should also provide impetus to developing and inducting an offensive NNEMP capability.