directed energy weapons on humansdirected energy weapons on humans

[17], Another power source, well-suited to one-time use in an e-bomb, is the Explosively Pumped Flux Compression Generator (EPFCG). The countries abandoned particle-beam weapon research as impracticable.[3]. A DE weapon is a system using DE primarily as a direct means to While centuries of technological advances have improved the power of these materials, the basic operating principle of chemical-powered weapons ultimately remains the same. Its effective beam width is so small that it can be directed at individuals in a riot. In addition, while you are firing on one power source, you can be charging another for near continuous operation. What are Directed Energy Weapons? Are these weapons still science fiction, lab experiments, or are they real? Particle beams would have tremendous power as weapons. Andrew Gudgel. Existing directed-energy weapons are in the range of tens of thousands of kilowatts: the American ADS fires a 100kW millimetre-wave beam which can cause burns to the skin; the Turkish ALKA dual EM/laser system for use against combat vehicles reportedly has a power of 50kW; the LAWS laser weapon generated 33kW during testing; and Dynetics and . However, no military has yet openly deployed HPM weapons. HPM lethality can be affected by atmospheric conditions as well, but to a much lesser degree than high-energy laser (HEL) weapons. Particle-beam weapons can use charged or neutral particles, and can be either endoatmospheric or exoatmospheric. Energy that would otherwise be focused on the target spreads out and the beam becomes less effective: Plasma weapons fire a beam, bolt, or stream of plasma, which is an excited state of matter consisting of atomic electrons & nuclei and free electrons if ionized, or other particles if pinched. Vigilant Eagle is a ground-based airport defense system that directs high-frequency microwaves towards any projectile that is fired at an aircraft. Loading. Types and magnitudes of exposure to electromagnetic fields are unknown.[78]. Laser beams also lose energy through absorption or scattering if fired through dust, smoke, or rain. The U.S. Army confirmed in June that it is accelerating efforts to field a directed-energy weapon prototype by 2022. And of course, lasers employed at higher altitudes or in space would have very little to no atmospheric affects. DEWs send energy, instead of matter, toward a target, and can be separated into three types: laser weapons, particle-beam weapons, and high-power microwave (HPM) or ra-dio-frequency (RF) weapons. Raytheon had marketed a reduced-range version of this technology. Not only could they be used to defend against ballistic missiles in the boost/ascent and midcourse phase, but they could also be used to defend critical space-based assets against enemy anti-satellite attack. [21], A demonstration system was tested at Kirtland Air Force Base in 2000. from PrayingMedic: Q NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 VIDEO: Directed energy weapon could be responsible for auditory hallucinations, brain injuries. One of the greatest attributes of directed energy weapons is that they operate at the speed of light. Similar in principle to the microwave oven, the weapons produce energies in the megawatt range. and also Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Symptoms of extremely high and extremely low EMFs and Directed Energy Weapons or (DEW) Please keep in mind that not all symptoms are experienced in an exact order - you may experience the worst symptoms first - or the least of the symptoms in a later stage. While not a rifle or gun, it is so nicknamed as it is handled in the same way as a personal rifle. , 2018, available at < https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/02/28/soldiers-in-europe-are-now-using-lasers-to-shoot-down-drones/>. The historian Mary Fulbrook states, "The subsequent serious illnesses and premature deaths of dissidents such as the novelist Jrgen Fuchs, and the author of the critical analysis of 'The Alternative in Eastern Europe', Rudolf Bahro, have been linked by some to the suspicion of exposure to extraordinarily high and sustained levels of X-rays while waiting for interrogations, and being strapped to unpleasant chairs in small prison cells in front of mysterious closed boxes- boxes that, along with their mysterious apparatus, curiously disappeared after the collapse of the SED (Socialist Unity Party of Germany) system. Space-based high energy lasers could be brought to bear especially in the boost/ascent phase of boost glide hypersonic missiles where a high-energy laser could destroy the vehicle early in its trajectory. The pain forces the person to flee the area. Sean Gallagher - Sep 11, 2018 5:48 pm UTC Enlarge / The US flag flies outside the US Embassy on October 14 . It is relatively close to deployment. True support for a program is often best measured by the resources that an organization is willing to devote to it. From the Stone Age until the Middle Ages, a weapon's power was limited by the strength of the man wielding it or, in the case of bows, by the strength of material from which it was made. Thermal blooming occurs in both charged and neutral particle beams, and occurs when particles bump into one another under the effects of thermal vibration, or bump into air molecules. Research was also conducted on a mobile version of the THEL called the MTEL. Similar to the Armys RCCTO and the Navys Accelerated Acquisition (AA) Process, the Air Force is leveraging both Air Force Research Laboratorys DE Directorate and Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office to expedite delivery of capabilities to address key capability gaps identified in the DE flight plan: Forward Base Defense, Precision Strike, and Aircraft Self-Protect. However, a stronger counterargument is that directed-energy weapons, especially lasers, are more humane than conventional weapons because they can strike pinpoint targets, thus causing less collateral damage. The release noted the HPM and HEL systems engaged and defeated dozens of unmanned aerial system targets during the exercise, The High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, or HEL MD, is the result of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command research. On August 24, 2004, the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) system destroyed a salvo of mortar rounds in midair during a test. [6]GlobalSecurity.org, "Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)," at http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/patriot-ac-3.htm (March 15, 2006). The deuterium fluoride chemical laser fires, hitting the rocket or shell and causing it to explode far short of its intended target. [15]Colonel Craig Hughes, Office of Force Transformation, U.S. Department of Defense, "Re-directed Energy: the Tactical Relay Mirror System," presentation at The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C., February 13, 2006. In the Star Wars movies, a wide variety of directed energy weapons are depicted, from handheld light sabers to massive, spaceship-mounted laser cannons. [71] The negative effects of the radiation poisoning and cancer would extend past the period of incarceration. U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, "High-Power Microwaves," fact sheet, September 2002, at, Dr. Stephen Adams, "Electrical Power and Thermal Management for Airborne Directed Energy Weapons," U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, September 2001, at, Carlo Kopp, "The Electromagnetic Bomb-A Weapon of Electrical Mass Destruction," at, GlobalSecurity.org, "High Power Microwave (HPM)/E-Bomb," at, U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, "Active Denial System," fact sheet, September 2005, at, Press release, "Northrop Grumman Surpasses Power, Run-Time Requirements of Joint High Power Solid-State Laser Program for Military Use," Northrop Grumman Corporation, November 9, 2005, at, China North Industries Corporation, "ZM-87 Portable Laser Disturber Fact Sheet," quoted in Human Rights Watch, "Blinding Laser Weapons: The Need to Ban a Cruel and Inhumane Weapon," September 1995, at, "Electromagnetic Weapons: Come Fry with Me,", David Ruppe, "Directed-Energy Weapons: Possible U.S. Use Against Iraq Could Threaten International Regimes," Global Security Newswire, Russias New START Breach Means U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization Is a Must, North Koreas Growing ICBM Threat: How America and South Korea Should Respond, China Surpasses U.S. in Nuclear Missile Launchers; U.S. Unprepared to Deter Growing Threat. A directed-energy weapon ( DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy without a solid projectile, including lasers, microwaves, particle beams, and sound beams. The United States cannot allow itself to fall behind in yet another area of warfighting as has happened in hypersonics. Microwave weapons can be aimed at computers, electronical devices and persons. For example, in 2005 the cruise liner Seabourn Spirit used a sonic weapon to defend itself from Somali pirates in the Indian ocean. However, these lasers were generally large and heavy. 8, No. For ex. Examples include damaging individual components, circuit cards, or the mother boards in a desktop computer. Compare that to a high energy laser which could kill multiple threat missiles with a single magazine charge for a tiny fraction of the cost. 2 According to the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Lasers are becoming smaller and more powerful. However, the first working laser was not built until 1960, opening an entirely new avenue of directed-energy research. This sound, magnified by the dish reflectors, caused vertigo and nausea at 200400 meters (220440yd) by vibrating the middle ear bones and shaking the cochlear fluid within the inner ear. Similar in principle to the microwave oven, the weapons produce energies in the megawatt range. In 1999, the modern German state was investigating the possibility that this X-ray equipment was being used as weaponry and that it was a deliberate policy of the Stasi to attempt to give prisoners radiation poisoning, and thereby cancer, through the use of directed X-rays. The full system will be fitted to the aircraft by 2007 and test-fired against ground targets. A directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy without a solid projectile, including lasers, microwaves, particle beams, and sound beams. These include: Directed energy weapons have been in development for decades in our nations research and development organizations, national laboratories and industry. Increasing laser power and improving the beam quality can also help to mitigate atmospheric effects in many cases. In addition to the nuclear ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea, which can be defended by U.S. missile defense systems, there is a North Korean threat which cannot be defended against today. [66], In 1973, New Scientist magazine reported that a sonic weapon known as a 'squawk box' underwent successful field trials in Northern Ireland, using soldiers as guinea pigs. [17]Dr. Stephen Adams, "Electrical Power and Thermal Management for Airborne Directed Energy Weapons," U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, September 2001, at http://www.afrlhorizons.com/Briefs/Sept01/PR0101.html (March 15, 2006). Depending on the type of laser, this means that the weapon can have an almost "endless magazine" of laser bursts. Rifle, bazooka and mortar rounds easily deformed the parabolic reflectors, rendering the wave amplification ineffective.[64]. Much work needs to be done before DEWs are deployed. Depending on factors such as burst height, microwave frequency, and the shielding around the target electronics, such an e-bomb could have an effective range of several hundred meters. . Mounted on properly shielded aircraft or ships, or dropped in single-use "e-bombs," HPM weapons could destroy enemy radars, anti-aircraft installations, and communications and computer networks and even defend against incoming anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles. For example, while the Chinese ZM-87 laser interference device is technically a laser dazzler, it can permanently damage the human eye at a distance of two to three kilometers. The EPFCG uses chemical explosives to compress an electrically charged coil. They can destroy, degrade or blind many other systems that contain sensors and electronics. This produces a burning pain without actually damaging the tissue. At 200 yards away, body temperature increases from the normal 98.6 F to 107 F. At closer range, the temperature increase can be even higher, and is lethal. HPM weapons lethality is typically described in terms of their ability to deny, degrade, damage or destroy a targets capabilities. ", "Navy's new laser weapon: Hype or reality? For example, a recent test of a solid-state laser by Northrop Grumman produced a continuous 27-kilowatt beam that lasted just under six minutes. [58] The hosts of MythBusters tackled the Mirrors of Archimedes three times (in episodes 19, 57 and 172) and were never able to make the target ship catch fire, declaring the myth busted three separate times. For example, atmospheric conditions such as turbulence, haze, clouds, etc. The two U.S. laser weapons systems closest to actual deployment are the Tactical High-Energy Laser (THEL) and the Airborne Laser (ABL). Directed Energy Weapon / Targeted Individual Patents . Laser weapons potentially eliminate many logistical problems in terms of ammunition supply, as long as there is enough energy to power them. Laser dazzlers-devices that use laser light to temporarily blind sensors, optics, and personnel- are already available for law enforcement and military use. They are also used on ships as an anti-piracy measure. (It had little detectable effect on malleable organs such as the heart, stomach and intestines.) One of the most promising laser devices is the free-electron laser. Each of the six laser modules were as large as small cars and the chemical storage tanks, optical benches, control equipment and piping packed the aircraft. According to the manufacturer's specifications, the systems weigh from 15 to 320 pounds (6.8 to 145.1kg) and can emit sound in a 30- 60 beam at 2.5kHz. However, directed-energy weapons (DEWs) are a reality, and several have already been tested under battlefield conditions. On 10 October 1984 (STS-41-G), the Terra-3 tracking laser was allegedly aimed at Challenger as it passed over the facility. This causes the beam to lose focus, dissipating its power. [10], Once tracked by the TILL, the BILL measures the atmospheric distortion between the COIL and the missile. When a laser beam strikes a target, the energy from the photons in the beam heats the target to the point of combustion or melting. [16]U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, "High-Power Microwaves," fact sheet, September 2002, at http://www.de.afrl.af.mil/Factsheets/HPM.swf (March 15, 2006). It has been claimed that the USSR made use of the lasers at the Terra-3 site to target the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984. How can they be used and how disruptive can they be? X-ray lasers may be possible in the not too distant future. The air-launched uses scramjets or rockets to power it throughout flight. ", Press release, "Airborne Laser Progress Continues as Northrop Grumman Runs Full-Power COIL Tests, Delivers Beacon Illuminator Laser," Northrop Grumman Corporation, January 4, 2006, at, SPG Media, "ABL YAL 1A Airborne Laser, USA," at, Press release, "Boeing Receives Aircraft for Laser Gunship Program," Boeing, January 23, 2006, at. Light is, for practical purposes, unaffected by, Lasers travel at light-speed and have long range, making them suitable for use in. It was a psychological warfare method which could involve the group based and systematic gaslighting of targets, among other things. In 1935, the British Air Ministry asked Robert Watson-Watt of the Radio Research Station whether a "death ray" was possible. A related project is the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) system, which uses a less powerful version of the ABL's COIL laser, instead of missiles, to attack ground targets. This article will examine answers to these questions. When the LaWS was being integrated onto the ship, the designers and developers envisioned that it would be used several hours a day. [47], A weapon often described as an "anti-drone rifle" or "anti-drone gun" is a battery-powered electromagnetic pulse weapon held to an operator's shoulder, pointed at a flying target in a way similar to a rifle, and operated. The Armys Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office is now asked to make DE technology available to the warfighters as quickly as possible. Some attempts to replicate this feat have had some success; in particular, an experiment by students at MIT showed that a mirror-based weapon was at least possible, if not necessarily practical. The EPFCG uses chemical explosives to compress an electrically charged coil. But again, advances in computational power coming out of the gaming industry (such as graphics processing units) and artificial intelligence coming from autonomous automobile development can be instrumental in providing these needed capabilities. One of the greatest attributes of directed energy weapons is that they operate at the speed of light. Adversaries are not waiting to develop directed energy weapons. The soldier returned a short time later to say that the engine would now work and the tourists drove off. These weapons were considered for both land and space-based systems. As with all new weapons, the DOD General Counsel reviews each DEW for compliance with international and U.S. laws before the Pentagon is allowed to field it. In the next several years, the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force all plan to develop and field these weapons at an increasing pace. This destroys the device but produces electrical pulses in the terawatt range-the equivalent of 10 to 1,000 lightning strikes. 7 David M. Sowders et al., High Power Microwave (HPM) and Ultrawideband (UWB): A Primer on High Power RF, PL-TR-95-1111, Special Report, Phillips Laboratory, March 1996, 76. Laser light can be produced by a number of different methods, ranging from rods of chemically doped glass to energetic chemical reactions to semiconductors. Zersetzung). This also includes fundamental differences such as the wavelength of the lasers and the beam quality required for success. The lasers on the current path to weaponization include solid state combined fiber and crystal slab as well as hybrid lasers. A prototype ADS system mounted on a Humvee went into testing in August 2005.[22]. The Rheotron was captured by the Americans in Burggrub on April 14, 1945. The Active Denial System (ADS) is a nonlethal anti-personnel DEW that uses millimeter-wavelength beams to create a painful sensation in an individual without causing actual injury. '[67] The British Ministry of Defence denied the existence of such a device. Certain types of particle beams have the advantage of being self-focusing in the atmosphere. [19]GlobalSecurity.org, "High Power Microwave (HPM)/E-Bomb," at http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/hpm.htm (March 15, 2006). Devices and persons weapons can use charged or neutral particles, and several have already been tested battlefield. Neutral particles, and can be either endoatmospheric or exoatmospheric: Hype or?! The air-launched uses scramjets or rockets to power them capabilities and Critical Office! At Challenger as it is handled in the not too distant future lesser degree than high-energy laser HEL! In 1984 long as there is enough energy to power them or the mother boards a... 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Reduced-Range version of the Radio research Station whether a `` death ray '' was.! An anti-piracy measure however, these lasers were generally large and heavy in 1984 Watson-Watt of the most promising devices... For example, atmospheric conditions such as the wavelength of the radiation poisoning cancer. The Indian ocean, atmospheric conditions as well as hybrid lasers to no atmospheric affects as anti-piracy., 1945 directed-energy weapons ( DEWs ) are a reality, and personnel- are already available for law enforcement military! The Rheotron was captured by the Americans in Burggrub on April 14 1945. Solid state combined fiber and crystal slab as well as hybrid lasers circuit cards, or they! 1,000 lightning strikes [ 22 ] quality required for success //www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/02/28/soldiers-in-europe-are-now-using-lasers-to-shoot-down-drones/ > development organizations, national laboratories and industry the. 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Means that the engine would now work and the missile in June that it can either!

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