U.S. unveils pinpoint electromagnetic pulse weapon
By Sheena Goodyear, Postmedia Network
First posted: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 12:32 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 01:03 PM EDT
Once the stuff of science fiction, the U.S. air force last week unveiled its new electromagnetic pulse weapon, which can fry electronics with precision accuracy.
Called the counter-electronics high-powered microwave advanced missile project, or CHAMP, the computer-killing missile was on display last week during the first ever U.S. Defence Lab Day, where the Pentagon displayed its shiny new war-faring gizmos and gadgets.
CHAMP targets an area with bursts of high-power microwave energy, effectively disabling all electronic and data systems.
It's not to be confused with the wildly dangerous nuclear EMP weapons tested after the Cold War, which, according to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, could wipe out major chunks of the power grid across multiple states.
CHAMP, on the other hand, can pinpoint specific targets. The Air Force could, conceivably, take out all the electronic systems in a terrorist compound while leaving nearby civilians unaffected.
Developed by weapons giant Boeing, CHAMP was first successfully tested in 2012 in a flight over the Utah Test and Training Range, where it successfully shut down all the computers in a building.
"This technology marks a new era in modern-day warfare," Keith Coleman, CHAMP program manager for Boeing Phantom Works, said at the time. "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 technology has since been improved upon and is ready to be deployed in the field, where the air force plans to mount it on stealthy, long-range missiles.
The American electromagnetic pulse weapon, called CHAMP, is seen in this simulated image targeting a specific object from a stealth plane. (YouTube/Screengrab)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsQWWQFQWkA
U.S. unveils pinpoint electromagnetic pulse weapon | News | Tech | Toronto Sun
By Sheena Goodyear, Postmedia Network
First posted: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 12:32 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 01:03 PM EDT
Once the stuff of science fiction, the U.S. air force last week unveiled its new electromagnetic pulse weapon, which can fry electronics with precision accuracy.
Called the counter-electronics high-powered microwave advanced missile project, or CHAMP, the computer-killing missile was on display last week during the first ever U.S. Defence Lab Day, where the Pentagon displayed its shiny new war-faring gizmos and gadgets.
CHAMP targets an area with bursts of high-power microwave energy, effectively disabling all electronic and data systems.
It's not to be confused with the wildly dangerous nuclear EMP weapons tested after the Cold War, which, according to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, could wipe out major chunks of the power grid across multiple states.
CHAMP, on the other hand, can pinpoint specific targets. The Air Force could, conceivably, take out all the electronic systems in a terrorist compound while leaving nearby civilians unaffected.
Developed by weapons giant Boeing, CHAMP was first successfully tested in 2012 in a flight over the Utah Test and Training Range, where it successfully shut down all the computers in a building.
"This technology marks a new era in modern-day warfare," Keith Coleman, CHAMP program manager for Boeing Phantom Works, said at the time. "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 technology has since been improved upon and is ready to be deployed in the field, where the air force plans to mount it on stealthy, long-range missiles.
The American electromagnetic pulse weapon, called CHAMP, is seen in this simulated image targeting a specific object from a stealth plane. (YouTube/Screengrab)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsQWWQFQWkA
U.S. unveils pinpoint electromagnetic pulse weapon | News | Tech | Toronto Sun
