USAF can Microwave your Electronics with Missiles

 

An explosion-less EMP is often used in a lot of science fiction movies a device like that has been successfully tested. Boeing and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) launched Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) during a flight over the Utah Test and Training Range.

Okay that’s a lot of acronyms, but here is what is going on basically the United States and Boeing have proved out a fly by Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) capable of only destroying electronics.

In a real world setting at least in most developed countries that would immobilize most modern vehicles, communications devices and higher end weapons.  Only devices with purely mechanical operations would function.

The key to the CHAMP missile is that it is a non-kinetic alternative to traditional explosive weapons, pretty much any nuclear bomb will create an EMP that will make electronics useless but then you have a nasty radioactive fallout to deal with.  Also a big factor for using this is that it is a multiple strike weapon, it functions like a drone capable of flying over multiple cities or areas before it self destructs.

Artist's rendering shows a CHAMP flying over a target

“This technology marks a new era in modern-day warfare,” said Keith Coleman, CHAMP program manager for Boeing Phantom Works. “In the near future, this technology may be used to render an enemy’s electronic and data systems useless even before the first troops or aircraft arrive.”

Start packing your survival gear boys.

Boeing Press Release