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Weapons that Destroy Electronics, Not People
from the Economist
Bullets and bombs are so 20th-century. The wars of the 21st will be dominated by ray guns.
That, at least, is the vision of a band of military technologists who are building weapons that
work by zapping the enemy's electronics, rather than blowing him to bits. The result could be
conflict that is less bloody, yet more effective, than what is now seen as conventional
battle.
Electromagnetic weapons, to give these ray guns their proper name, are inspired by the
cold-war idea of using the radio-frequency energy released by an atom bomb exploded high in the
atmosphere to burn out an enemy's electrical grid, telephone network and possibly even the wiring
of his motor vehicles, by inducing a sudden surge of electricity in the cables that run these
things.
That idea, fortunately, was never tried in earnest (though some tests were carried out). But,
by thinking smaller, military planners have developed weapons that use a similar principle,
without the need for a nuclear explosion. Instead, they create their electromagnetic pulses with
magnetrons, the microwave generators at the hearts of radar sets (and also of microwave ovens).
The result is kit that can take down enemy missiles and aircraft, stop tanks in their tracks and
bring speedboats to a halt. It can also scare away soldiers without actually killing them.
Read more...
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