I seem to recall the U.S. having in theater but not using city block-sized EMP weapons in Iraq (possibly not bombs or missiles and maybe mounted on vehicles, I don't recall the details). These are not what most people visualize when they think "EMP weapon."
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Non-nuclear EMP Weapons (page 4 of several pages)
By Tom Harris
Apr 24, 2023
The United States has NNEMP weapons in its arsenal. Much of the United States' EMP research has involved high-power microwaves (HPMs) that are like super powerful microwave ovens that can generate a concentrated beam of microwave energy. In 2012, the U.S. Air Force successfully demonstrated a missile equipped with tech from the Counter-Electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP). An improved version of that weapon — the High-Powered Joint Electromagnetic Non-Kinetic Strike Weapon (HiJENKS) — was being tested as of 2022.
Non-nuclear EMPs can also come in the form of flux compression generator bombs (FCGs), which date back to the 1950s. This sort of EMP bomb has a fairly simple design, illustrated below. The bomb consists of a metal cylinder (called the armature), which is surrounded by a coil of wire (the stator winding). The armature cylinder is filled with high explosive, and a sturdy jacket surrounds the entire device. The stator winding and the armature cylinder are separated by empty space. The bomb also has a power source, such as a bank of capacitors, which can be connected to the stator.
Here's the sequence of events when the bomb goes off:
- A switch connects the capacitors to the stator, sending an electrical current through the wires. This generates an intense magnetic field.
- A fuze mechanism ignites the explosive material. The explosion travels as a wave through the middle of the armature cylinder.
- As the explosion makes its way through the cylinder, the cylinder comes in contact with the stator winding. This creates a short circuit, cutting the stator off from its power supply.
- The moving short circuit compresses the magnetic field, generating an intense electromagnetic burst.
Most likely, this type of weapon would affect a relatively small area — nothing on the order of a nuclear EMP attack — but it could do some serious damage.
In the next section, we'll look at some possible effects of an EMP attack.
science.howstuffworks.com
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Non-nuclear EMP Weapons (page 4 of several pages)
By Tom Harris
Apr 24, 2023
The United States has NNEMP weapons in its arsenal. Much of the United States' EMP research has involved high-power microwaves (HPMs) that are like super powerful microwave ovens that can generate a concentrated beam of microwave energy. In 2012, the U.S. Air Force successfully demonstrated a missile equipped with tech from the Counter-Electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP). An improved version of that weapon — the High-Powered Joint Electromagnetic Non-Kinetic Strike Weapon (HiJENKS) — was being tested as of 2022.
Non-nuclear EMPs can also come in the form of flux compression generator bombs (FCGs), which date back to the 1950s. This sort of EMP bomb has a fairly simple design, illustrated below. The bomb consists of a metal cylinder (called the armature), which is surrounded by a coil of wire (the stator winding). The armature cylinder is filled with high explosive, and a sturdy jacket surrounds the entire device. The stator winding and the armature cylinder are separated by empty space. The bomb also has a power source, such as a bank of capacitors, which can be connected to the stator.
Here's the sequence of events when the bomb goes off:
- A switch connects the capacitors to the stator, sending an electrical current through the wires. This generates an intense magnetic field.
- A fuze mechanism ignites the explosive material. The explosion travels as a wave through the middle of the armature cylinder.
- As the explosion makes its way through the cylinder, the cylinder comes in contact with the stator winding. This creates a short circuit, cutting the stator off from its power supply.
- The moving short circuit compresses the magnetic field, generating an intense electromagnetic burst.
Most likely, this type of weapon would affect a relatively small area — nothing on the order of a nuclear EMP attack — but it could do some serious damage.
In the next section, we'll look at some possible effects of an EMP attack.
How Electromagnetic Pulse Attacks Work
Learn how EMPs work and how these weapons could tear apart modern technology.
science.howstuffworks.com