E bomb

THE E-BOMB : A WEAPON OF ELECTRICAL MASS DESTRUCTION

By :

Awanish Kumar Singh

10104EN059

Critic:

Jeetendra Kumar Meena

10104EN075

INTRODUCTION: Future warfare campaigns will require more

suitable weapons to achieve shock effect over large target sets with small attacking forces.

Electromagnetic bombs (E-bombs) can perform such a role

Developed by Dr Carlo Kopp, Associate Fellow AIAA and freelance Defense Analyst.

It can destroy Power Grids, Electronics and Communication System along an entire coast but spare human and other living species.

E-BOMB TECHNOLOGY BASE:

Power source : Battery, Capacitor bank Explosively pumped Flux Compression

Generator (FCG). High Power Microwave Device Antenna

FCG :

FCG can produce tens of Mega Joules in tens to hundreds of microseconds.

Peak current of an FCG is 100X that of a typical lightning stroke.

FCG INTERNALS:

Armature - copper tube / fast explosive Stator - helical heavy wire coil Initiator - plane wave explosive lense Jacket - prevents disintegration due magnetic

forces

FCG OPERATION: A switch connects the capacitors to the stator

which provides starting current A fuse mechanism ignites the explosive

material. As the explosion makes its way through the

cylinder, the cylinder comes in contact with the stator winding. This creates a short circuit, cutting the stator off from its power supply.

The moving short circuit compresses the magnetic field, generating an intense electromagnetic burst.

HIGH POWER MICROWAVE (HPM) DEVICES:

The fundamental idea behind the HPM is to amplify the resulting electromagnetic burst into high power microwave

(e.g. Vircator, Klystrons, Magnetrons etc)

DAMAGE MECHANISMS:

Low frequency pulses produced by FCG create high voltage spikes on fixed wiring infrastructure

Microwave radiation from HPM devices can couple directly through ventilation grilles, gaps between panels, poor interface shielding - producing a spatial standing wave inside the equipment cavity

COUPLING MODES:

Front Door Coupling through antennas. Destroys RF semiconductor devices in

transmitters and receivers

Back Door Coupling through power/data cabling, telephone wiring

Destroys exposed semiconductor devices

EXAMPLE SCENARIO:

10 Giga Watt 5 GHz HPM E-bomb initiated at several hundred meters altitude

Footprint has diameter of 400 - 500 meters with field strengths of kilovolts/meter

DEFENCE AGAINST E-BOMBS:

convert computer rooms in to Faraday cages use optical fibers for data isolate power feeds with transient arrestors use electromagnetic “air lock” shielding must be comprehensive

MILITARY APPLICATIONS OF THE E-BOMB

1) Electronic Combat: The objective is to paralyse the opponent’s C3S and ADS as quickly as possible

2) Strategic Warfare: Implemented according to Warden’s Five Ring model

3) Punitive Missions: The E-bomb is a useful punitive weapon as it can cause much economic and military damage with no loss of civilian life

ADVANTAGES:

Not lethal to humans Negligible collateral damage High tempo campaigns become easy due to

the powerful “shock” effect of using a WEMD No mass media coverage of bombing

casualties (broadcast equipts destroyed)

LIMITATIONS:

Means of implementing E-Bombs are difficult.

Means of delivery constrain the accuracy of weapon.

Atmospheric propagation of waves.

Difficult kill assessment.

CONCLUSIONS: E-bomb is a Weapon of Electric Mass

Destruction. E-bombs are a non-lethal weapon The critical issues for the next decade are the

deployment of E-bombs and the hardening of fundamental infrastructure

REFERENCES: The Electromagnetic Bomb - a Weapon of Electrical

Mass Destruction by Carlo Kopp, Defence Analyst (1997)

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/cc/apjemp.html E-Bomb – FAQ by Carlo Kopp (2012)http://www.ausairpower.net/E-Bomb-FAQ.html How E-Bombs Work by Tom Harrishttp://science.howstuffworks.com/e-bomb.htm E- Bomb by Jim Wilson and Edwin Herderhttp://www.radiobergen.org/terrorism/e_bomb.htm

THANK YOU!