From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!utcsri!rutgers!ub!acsu.buffalo.edu!caross Wed Sep 16 21:23:33 EDT 1992
Article 6920 of comp.ai.philosophy:
Xref: newshub.ccs.yorku.ca comp.ai.philosophy:6920 rec.arts.sf.misc:3162 alt.cyberpunk:1681
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>From: caross@acsu.buffalo.edu (Christian Ross)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy,rec.arts.sf.misc,alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: 21st Century Soldier
Message-ID: <BuMICz.K6q@acsu.buffalo.edu>
Date: 15 Sep 92 14:17:22 GMT
References: <1992Sep11.230936.14718@cas.org> <BuH0JM.5E4@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca> <1992Sep14.134609.23335@cas.org> <1992Sep14.175430.11621@linus.mitre.org>
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m23364@mwunix (James Meritt) writes:

>In article <1992Sep14.134609.23335@cas.org> sdr57@cas.org () writes:
>}In article <BuH0JM.5E4@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca> jdnicoll@watyew.uwaterloo.ca (James Davis Nicoll) writes:
>}>In article <1992Sep11.230936.14718@cas.org> sdr57@cas.org writes:
>}>
>}>       On using small nuclear devices to produce EMP  to destroy
>}>high-tech gadgets:
>}>
>}>
>}>       Hmmm. Anyone  know if EMP-enhanced weapons are available?
>}>A  non-nuclear EMP device might be very useful in a near-future war,
>}>as well. Only problem is that producing EMP weapons may require
>}>First World grade industry, in which case the Third World may find
>}>it hard to get their hands on them.
>}>
>}Generating an electromagnetic pulse can be done without a nuclear device.
>}It requires lots of power and an interesting array of wires. There is an
>}EMP setup big enough to put whole airplanes into at Kirtland Air Force
>}Base in New Mexico (it was, and presumably still is, used to evaluate
>}the vulnerability of aircraft electronics to emp - military electronics
>}are designed to survive with the possibility of exposure to EMP in mind).
>}It is big - not portable - and the aircraft has to be inside. Its use
>}did not disrupt electronics in Albuquerque, which is adjacent to the
>}site. In short, if you want to generate an EMP under battlefield conditions,
>}you will need a nuclear device

>Nah.  A cesium seeded high temperature explosion can generate the electrical 
>pulse through MHD to send the wave through trailing wires.  A use-it-once
>weapon, but most are.  Fits in a BIG artillery shell.

An interesting article in IEEE spectrum speculated on the use of high power
microwave tubes (virtual cathode oscillators) to produce intense pulses of
microwave radiation, not only to couple to and destroy non-hardened hardware,
but also cause neurological problems and tissue heating in battlefield troops.
-- 
Christian A. Ross                |               Student (Physics/Mathematics)
caross@acsu.buffalo.edu          |     State University of New York at Buffalo
-- 
 "A witty saying proves nothing." - Voltaire


