Scientific and technological progress is developing rapidly. Unfortunately, its results are carried out not only to the improvement of our lives, to new surprising discoveries or victories over dangerous ailments, but also to the emergence of a new, more advanced weapon.
Throughout the past century, mankind has "puzzled" over the creation of new, even more effective means of destruction. Toxic gases, deadly bacteria and viruses, intercontinental missiles, thermonuclear weapons. There has never been such a period in human history that scientists and military collaborate so closely and, unfortunately, effectively.
In many countries of the world, weapons are being developed on the basis of new physical principles. The generals are very carefully watching the latest achievements of science and try to put them in their service.
One of the most promising areas of defense research is work in the field of electromagnetic weapons. In the yellow press, it is usually called the "electromagnetic bomb." Such studies are very expensive, so only rich countries can afford them: the United States, China, Russia, and Israel.
The principle of the electromagnetic bomb is to create a powerful electromagnetic field, which disables all the devices whose work is related to electricity.
This is not the only way to use electromagnetic waves in modern military affairs: mobile electromagnetic radiation generators (EMP) have been created, which can disable enemy electronics at a distance of several tens of kilometers. Works in this area are actively carried out in the USA, Russia, and Israel.
There are even more exotic ways of military use of electromagnetic radiation than an electromagnetic bomb. Most modern weapons use the energy of powder gases to defeat the enemy. However, things can change in the coming decades. To launch the projectile will also be used electromagnetic currents.
The principle of operation of such an "electric gun" is quite simple: under the influence of a field, a projectile made of conductive material is pushed out at high speed over a fairly large distance. This scheme is planned to be put into practice in the near future. The most active in this direction are the Americans; it is not known about the successful development of weapons with such a principle of operation in Russia.
Electromagnetic bomb
How do you imagine the beginning of the Third World War? Dazzling flashes of thermonuclear charges? The groans of people dying from anthrax? Hitting hypersonic aircraft from space?
Everything can be very different.
The outbreak will really be, but not very strong and not sizzling, but rather like a thunderclap. The most "interesting" will begin later.
Even the switched off fluorescent lamps and TV screens will light up, the smell of ozone will hang in the air, and the wiring and electrical appliances will begin to glow and sparkle. Gadgets and household appliances that have batteries will heat up and fail.
Almost all internal combustion engines will stop working. Communication will be disconnected, mass media will not work, cities will plunge into darkness.
People will not suffer, in this respect the electromagnetic bomb is a very humane type of weapon. However, think for yourself what the life of a modern person will become if you remove from it devices whose principle of operation is based on electricity.
The society, against which the instrument of such an action will be used, will be thrown back several centuries.
How it works
How can you create such a powerful electromagnetic field that can have a similar effect on electronics and electrical networks? Electronic bomb fantastic weapons or similar ammunition can be created in practice?
The electron bomb has already been created and has already been used twice. This is a nuclear or thermonuclear weapon. When such a charge is detonated, one of the most damaging factors is the electromagnetic radiation flux.
In 1958, the Americans detonated a thermonuclear bomb over the Pacific Ocean, which led to disruption of communications throughout the region, it was not even in Australia, and the light disappeared in the Hawaiian Islands.
Gamma radiation, which is formed in excess during a nuclear explosion, causes a strong electronic pulse that spreads for hundreds of kilometers and turns off all electronic devices. Immediately after the invention of nuclear weapons, the military began to develop the protection of their own equipment against such an action of explosions.
Works related to the creation of a strong electromagnetic impulse, as well as the development of means of protection against it are carried out in many countries (USA, Russia, Israel, China), but almost everywhere they are classified.
Is it possible to create a working device on other less destructive principles of action than a nuclear explosion. It turns out that you can. Moreover, they were actively engaged in similar developments in the USSR (they continue in Russia). One of the first who became interested in this area was the famous academician Sakharov.
It was he who first proposed the construction of a conventional electromagnetic munition. According to his idea, a high-energy magnetic field can be obtained by compressing the magnetic field of a solenoid with an ordinary explosive. Such a device could be placed in a rocket, projectile or bomb and sent to the object of the enemy.
However, these munitions have one drawback: their low power. The advantage of such shells and bombs is their simplicity and low cost.
Can I protect myself?
After the first tests of nuclear weapons and the determination of electromagnetic radiation, as one of its main damaging factors, in the USSR and the USA began to work on protection from EMR.
To this issue in the USSR approached very seriously. The Soviet army was preparing to fight in a nuclear war, so all the military equipment was manufactured taking into account the possible impact on it of electromagnetic impulses. To say that there is no protection against him at all is a clear exaggeration.
All military electronics were equipped with special screens and reliably grounded. Special safety devices were included in its structure, the architecture of electronics as resistant as possible to EMR was developed.
Of course, if you get to the epicenter of the application of a high-power electromagnetic bomb, then the defense will be broken, but at a certain distance from the epicenter, the probability of hitting will be much lower. Electromagnetic waves propagate in all directions (like waves on water) therefore their strength decreases in proportion to the square of the distance.
In addition to protection, the means of electronic damage were developed. With the help of EMR, they planned to shoot down cruise missiles, there is information about the successful application of this method.
Currently, mobile complexes are being developed that can emit high density EMR, disrupting the operation of enemy electronics on the ground and knocking down aircraft.
