Re: MIL: EMP and future C3I

From: Michael M. Butler (mmb@spies.com)
Date: Sat Feb 22 2003 - 11:46:09 MST

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    I need to correct one of my earlier comments about NEMP.
    I called it "dc-to-daylight", and that, though a classic
    bit of jargon, isn't a fair charcaterization when contrasting
    it with things like directed microwave. NEMP tends to have
    most of its energy below UHF (~300 MHz). Microwave operates
    well above that (in the GigaHertz realm), and consequently
    old schools EMP hardening does _not_ necessarly confer any
    significant protection or recovery.

    Another thing about microwave is that just like RF jamming,
    there's a tradeoff between broad and narrow band--you have to
    choose how to distribute the energy in your device, and you
    might "miss" if you guess wrong--for a given number of joules,
    you can spread them thin across a wide band, but they won't
    hit as hard that way.

    I second one particular thing implied by Anders: EM/EMP weapons
    against (how many?) augmented people could validly be considered
    weapons of mass destruction, depending on how they are employed.
    I can also imagine directed-energy harrassment and torture. *sigh*



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