Boeing Counter-Electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile (CHAMP)

[riggerrob]

Dear Josh TN,
Up until 1960, both the USA and the USSR built numerous EMP simulators to test "hardened" military electronics.
Most used a stack of charged capacitor plates. Then they used explosives to instantaneously collapse the stack, releasing a huge electro-magnetic pulse. Being explosively initiated, they were only good for one "shot."
After 1960, the USA quit publishing results of ground-based EMP simulators. I doubt if they quit building EMP simulators, but they just quit publishing results.

A major advantage of High Pulse Microwaves is that they can be "fired" repeatedly during a single flight (e.g. targeting multiple cell phone towers).

 

[Ronny]

Dear Josh TN,
Up until 1960, both the USA and the USSR built numerous EMP simulators to test "hardened" military electronics.
Most used a stack of charged capacitor plates. Then they used explosives to instantaneously collapse the stack, releasing a huge electro-magnetic pulse. Being explosively initiated, they were only good for one "shot."
After 1960, the USA quit publishing results of ground-based EMP simulators. I doubt if they quit building EMP simulators, but they just quit publishing results.

A major advantage of High Pulse Microwaves is that they can be "fired" repeatedly during a single flight (e.g. targeting multiple cell phone towers).

what are the main different between HPM and a simple high power noise jammer though?

 

[Josh_TN]

Among other details I'm ignorant of, energy and duration. I think HPMs send their energy as a mili or mirco second burst all at once, generally driven off capacitors. There were also some ideas concerning explosively pumped emitters thrown around; I don't know how realistic those are. The best analogy off the top of my head is the difference between someone shinning a light in your eyes vs using a flash bang grenade.

 

[Ronny]

I think it would be much harder to harden SAM than it is to hardern vehicle or fighter aircraft, so this CHAMP weapon could make a very good defensive system

 

[Ronny]

 

[aonestudio]

AFRL, U.S. Navy Conducting ‘HiJENKS’ Capstone Test | Aviation Week Network

A five-year joint effort by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the Office of Naval Research to create the next generation of a high-powered microwave weapon is culminating in a major test this summer.

aviationweek.com