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Article 6937 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: urf@icl.se (Urban F)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy,rec.arts.sf.misc,alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: 21st Century Soldier
Message-ID: <urf.716491808@sw2001>
Date: 14 Sep 92 17:30:08 GMT
References: <4SEP199212055495@dstl86.gsfc.nasa.gov> <1992Sep10.172333.4545@oracle.us.oracle.com> <11SEP199212055913@dstl86.gsfc.nasa.gov> <1992Sep11.230936.14718@cas.org> <BuH0JM.5E4@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca>
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jdnicoll@watyew.uwaterloo.ca (James Davis Nicoll) writes:

>	Hmmm. Anyone  know if EMP-enhanced weapons are available?

I think it more has to do with _where_ you explode your nuclear
device. As I understand it, you have to let it go off in the upper
atmosphere, to get an asymmetrical distribution of particles.

>A  non-nuclear EMP device might be very useful in a near-future war,
>as well.

They certainly think so in the UK, where research is going on, even
though "there is no operational requirement". One way is to _very_
rapidly and _precisely_ squeeze together a tube from one end, containing
a device that has set up a standing radio wave. Another way could be
to implode a superconducting magnet. These effects could be very local.

The US Navy obviously thinks there can be something to these devices,
why would it otherwise fligth-test a fluidic fligth-control computer
on a F/A-18. (Yes, they say the same "no operational requirement, but
it may be nice to have the technology available".)
--
 Urban Fredriksson   urf@icl.se
 "When a woman thinks quickly, it is called intuition." -- Barbro Alving        


