The High Powered Microwave

FrostyBoy · January 21, 2003, 19:03

source

short bit of what it says about the HPM

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THE US is ready to use an ultra-secret new weapon against Iraq - a massive man-made lightning bolt with the power of a hydro-electric dam.

The high-powered microwave (HPM) device, carried by a cruise missile, would burn out the guidance systems of Saddam Hussein's biological and chemical weapons.

The HPM is the result of a four-year research program and although only at the experimental stage, senior Pentagon officials confirmed it would be used.

As the missile reaches its target, the HPM would send out incredibly powerful microwaves and "fry" the electronic innards of every computer or microchip device within a thousand feet in any direction.

The weapon will unleash, in a flash, as much electrical power - 2 billion watts or more - as the world's biggest dams can generate in 24 hours.
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I think this is pretty cool

ixnay · January 21, 2003, 19:05

Good thing we're keeping this a secret.

Grrr · January 21, 2003, 19:19

Quote:

Sources involved with the microwave program say it is still not certain what effect the waves will have on people.

At the very least, they will heat the water in living cells and create an "uncomfortable sensation", although only for a very brief period.

They're going to cook all the Iraqi's.

This would have a devastating effect on the environment IMHO.

FrostyBoy · January 21, 2003, 19:21

Wouldn't something like this give cancer? Or is cancer only caused by something over a long period?

FrustratedPoet · January 21, 2003, 19:22

Quote:

ultra-secret new weapon

statusperfect · January 21, 2003, 19:23

Trying out new experimental weaponry on Iraquis. That's what that psycho Bush wants. Sick ****.

Cyclotron · January 21, 2003, 19:25

Well, we do it to ourselves already with cell phone antennas. What's good for us must be good for them...

Grrr · January 21, 2003, 19:29

Cyclo, their is a difference between a cellphone antennae and a 2 billion watt brust of energy.

I think that everyone around would be sterile, if not cooked and dead.

statusperfect · January 21, 2003, 19:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Grrr
I think that everyone around would be sterile, if not cooked and dead.

This time the american soldiers with be equipped with knives, forks and barbecue sauce.

FrustratedPoet · January 21, 2003, 19:48

Is it OK for the US to be developing highly-deadly weapon's of mass destruction?

Grrr · January 21, 2003, 19:50

FP: NO ... we must attack them immediately ... especially because they don't let UN Weapon's inspectors in.

DRoseDARs · January 21, 2003, 19:50

"Sources involved with the microwave program say it is still not certain what effect the waves will have on people.

At the very least, they will heat the water in living cells and create an "uncomfortable sensation", although only for a very brief period.

But HPMs could also knock out heart pacemakers and critical electrical systems in hospitals or aboard aircraft.

A Pentagon source admitted: "No doubt there will be some unintended victims."

...

US Air Force Colonel Eileen Walling said: "There are signs that microwave weapons will represent a revolutionary concept for warfare, principally because they are designed to incapacitate equipment rather than humans."

She was backed by weapons specialist Professor John Moore, of the University of Virginia.

"You may be talking about a weapon here that is the sort of ultimate (for) saving people - that is, putting weapons systems out of operation while not killing the people," he said.

This'll go over well with the international community.
I've heard of talking out of both sides of your mouth...

...But talking out of both sides of your ass?

Zopperoni · January 21, 2003, 21:16

Quote:

The high-powered microwave (HPM) device, carried by a cruise missile, would burn out the guidance systems of Saddam Hussein's biological and chemical weapons.

...but will it also cook my food faster?

Cyclotron · January 21, 2003, 21:31

Well, to be fair, there are always unintended victims in war. How is using a HPM device on a weapons site, which may hurt people, worse than using a bomb on a weapons site, which will kill people? If the USA is going to invade Iraq, I don't see how this new weapon is a negative thing...

Jaakko · January 21, 2003, 21:39

Somehow I doubt that the US is going to let SAM sites and such just sit there after a HPM strike...

Grrr · January 21, 2003, 21:46

Jaakko is right ... they'd be to easy to repair.

And also ... wouldn't it be wise just to put everything in concrete buildings that is important.

General Ludd · January 21, 2003, 21:54

What if the process of "frying" the electronics causes something to go off prematurely?

Not that the people using it would care, of course...

Dis · January 21, 2003, 22:18

we'd be in a world of hurt if someone used this weapon on american cities.

Our economy would crumble instantly.

Cyclotron · January 21, 2003, 22:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Jaakko
Somehow I doubt that the US is going to let SAM sites and such just sit there after a HPM strike...

That's why it's not targeting SAM sites, but Saddam's supposed WoMD.

Anyway, I think the idea is not to keep them from operating them indefinitly, but to knock them out temporarily in the initial stages of the war, to stop retaliation against our troops and Israel by way of scuds or WoMD.

Besides, the US wants to capture his WoMD for further proof, not vaporize them.

Zero · January 21, 2003, 23:24

I'd rather NOT hear about military secrets... it makes me really uncomfortable to know them... dont you just sense something is wrong if you know about a secret that easily?

Urban Ranger · January 21, 2003, 23:46

High powered microwave beams are very dangerous to living organisms.

I can't tell if this works along the same lines as EMP bombs, but it doesn't look that way. In fact, I am not sure if it actually works as advertised.

Urban Ranger · January 21, 2003, 23:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident
we'd be in a world of hurt if someone used this weapon on american cities.

Our economy would crumble instantly.

If it works, that is. But you are right. It also works very well against the US military.

OzzyKP · January 22, 2003, 00:49

Sounds freaken cool, I hope it works as planned.

Still against the war, but I wanna see this thing in action. hehe.

Alexander's Horse · January 22, 2003, 01:44

I don't think this will affect shielded PC's.

Ramo · January 22, 2003, 02:13

It sounds like interesting technology, but I find it very difficult to believe that 2 billion W of radiation capable of frying electronics in a 1000 feet radius (it has to start out with a high enough frequency such that its not too damped out by the air) is going to cause nothing more than an "uncomfortable sensation" to the people near the explosion.

It's true that transistors don't have much tolerance for extra current, but I'm skeptical.

Quote:

I can't tell if this works along the same lines as EMP bombs, but it doesn't look that way.

Why do you say that? It by definition is an EMP bomb...

Ramo · January 22, 2003, 02:27

Quote:

I don't think this will affect shielded PC's.

Faraday cages can only effectively shield certain frequency bands of radiation. So unless these weapons are really crappy, the PC's will be affected.