U.S. Air Force Developing Microwave Weapon

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U.S. Air Force Developing Microwave Weapon

Posted by Hemos on Wednesday January 22, 2003 @12:23AM from the fry-the-machine dept.

Makarand writes "A weapon that uses an intense microwave pulse to fry electronics in computers and communication systems is being developed by the US Air Force according to this BBC News article. This weapon is totally harmless to people and could be used in situations where hitting targets could result in civilian casualties. This weapon could be carried by an unmanned drone or a cruise missile." EMP weapons have, in general, been under discussion and research for a very long time.

17 of 655 comments (clear)

Advantage.. by Chicane-UK · 2003-01-22 00:23 · Score: 3, Funny

At least when the army are out on maneuvers, they can cook up their own rations with it :)

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1. Re:Advantage.. by le_jfs · 2003-01-22 01:32 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Someday we'll be able to use such devices to fry the RFID tags in our tires.
  
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  main(char O){O++&&(((O-291)*O+27788)*O-868020?1:putchar(O++) )&&main(O);}
Good against computerized enemies... by kahei · 2003-01-22 00:33 · Score: 2, Funny

...not so good against the USA's actual enemies, i.e. 20 beardy guys with assault rifles in a cave. Still, if war ever breaks out with Taiwan or Belgium or somewhere, these things will rock!

On the other hand, the scary robot plane in the picture is COOL.

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Whence? Hence. Whither? Thither.
1. Re:Good against computerized enemies... by Doctor+Hu · 2003-01-22 02:01 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  ...not so good against the USA's actual enemies, i.e. 20 beardy guys with assault rifles in a cave. ...
  Nah, for them all you need to do is just drop a few tons of high explosive from a great height. Works every time. Um, provided the cave isn't really deep. Or, um, not on your target list because it's, um, too well hidden. Or empty because the beardy guys were passing the hookah around one evening, as you tend to do when you're holed up in a cave with no TV to denounce as an instrument of the infidels, and they wondered, hey, what would The Great Satan do, and top of the list was that he'd probably drop a few tons of explosive on them from a great height, so they decided that sitting out the campaign in neighboring Pakistan had a lot to recommend it.
  I'm not trawling for +1 funny points here, nor indulging in knee-jerk anti-US sentiment: successfully taking the fight to a group as amorphous as, for example, Al-Qaida which has no intention of cooperating with your preferred choice of battleground is hard. I just wish I could be more confident that the activities and emphasis that have been made public so far aren't the whole of it.
Re:Coldbringer? by assaultriflesforfree · 2003-01-22 00:37 · Score: 4, Funny

Righto. My guess is that, if this thing ever comes to be reality, they'll start using it on the military targets and save the bombs for the hospitals, schools, trains, and Fox.
oooh, scary by new+death+barbie · 2003-01-22 00:47 · Score: 4, Funny

Imagine the damage this weapon could inflict on the enemy when all of their popcorn pops at once.

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It's supposed to be completely automatic, but actually you have to press this button.
1. Re:oooh, scary by sczimme · 2003-01-22 01:05 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Imagine the damage this weapon could inflict on the enemy when all of their popcorn pops at once.
  
  Well, if that 80s vintage documentary showed me anything, it's that...
  
  the house will rapidly fill up with popcorn
  the windows will break outward, followed by popped corn pouring out of said windows
  the front door will burst open in slow motion, and one of the more annoying antagonists will be engulfed in a mass of kernels as he is propelled down the front steps
  eventually part of the foundation will collapse, and the house will list about 15 degrees to port
  local townsfolk will rejoice in the corny goodness (also in slow motion)
  
  Terrifying stuff, that is.
  
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  I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
Early reports ... by smallfries · 2003-01-22 00:57 · Score: 4, Funny

... indicate that the chinese have already been experimenting with defenses against microwave weapons. So far the most reliable is a metal spoon ...

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Re:Completely safe for civillians? I think not. by iapetus · 2003-01-22 03:53 · Score: 2, Funny

Look, if they're going to paint huge red target markers on their buildings then what do they expect? Damn liberals.

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++ Say to Elrond "Hello.".
Elrond says "No.". Elrond gives you some lunch.
Just don't let the RIAA get hold of it . . . by 9jack9 · 2003-01-22 03:57 · Score: 2, Funny

. . . or they'd by EMPing us by the city block.
Re:Completely safe for civillians? I think not. by forgetmenot · 2003-01-22 04:45 · Score: 2, Funny

Not to mention the shrapnel caused by all the exploding eggs.
Grounded Faraday cage? by otis+wildflower · 2003-01-22 05:11 · Score: 2, Funny

I wonder if the case on my TiG4 would bleed off enough energy to survive one of these things.. I know it absorbs 2.4GHz pretty well!
"'Strap-on' system" by Conspir8or · 2003-01-22 05:18 · Score: 2, Funny

>The latest technology is a "strap-on" system

To some, "strap-on" is an apt description of recent US foreign policy ....
The One Downside by saddino · 2003-01-22 05:32 · Score: 2, Funny

After the initial hit, you need to rotate the target 90 degrees and hit it again.
Re:A lot of these weapons don't actually work. by dildatron · 2003-01-22 05:37 · Score: 2, Funny

Well, I have never seen a really poor person develop a futuristic weapon that may help us win conflicts with less casualities.

We need poor weapons developers! Developers develepers developers developers developers...

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If you had nuts on your chin, would they be chin nuts?
Re:The two major questions about EMPs. Anyone? by leighklotz · 2003-01-22 05:44 · Score: 2, Funny

I can assure you -- Wall Street and Redmond are completely safe from any attacks involving lorries. London, of course, is at risk.
A hitech anti hitech weapon by Hognoxious · 2003-01-22 13:07 · Score: 2, Funny

What a smart idea, when you've got all the technology, and the enemy is armed with spears and rocks.

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Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."