04.03.2020

Electromagnetic pulse weapon. Magnetic weapon. Electromagnetic weapons of Russia. Electronic bomb - a fantastic weapon of Russia

Electromagnetic weapons (EMW) are a promising tool for information warfare, which was developed in the 80s and provides high efficiency in disrupting information systems. The term “information warfare” itself has come into use since the war in the Persian Gulf, during which missile-based EMP was first used.
Experts' assessment of electromagnetic weapons as one of the most effective means of modern warfare is due to the high importance of information flows in the main areas of human activity - economic management, production, and national defense. Impaired functioning information system, which ensures constant exchange of management decisions and includes many devices for collecting and processing information, will cause dire consequences. When conducting combat operations, command, control, reconnaissance and communications systems become the targets of EMP, and the defeat of these assets will lead to the disintegration of the information system, a decrease in efficiency or a complete disruption of the operation of air defense and missile defense systems. IMPACT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WEAPONS ON OBJECTS
The operating principle of EMF is based on short-term high-power electromagnetic radiation, which can damage radio-electronic devices that form the basis of any information system. The elemental base of radio-electronic devices is very sensitive to energy overloads; a flow of electromagnetic energy of sufficiently high density can burn out semiconductor junctions, completely or partially disrupting their normal functioning. As is known, the breakdown voltages of junctions are low and range from units to tens of volts, depending on the type of device. Thus, even for silicon high-current bipolar transistors, which have increased resistance to overheating, the breakdown voltage ranges from 15 to 65 V, and for gallium arsenide devices this threshold is 10 V. Memory devices, which make up a significant part of any computer, have threshold voltages of the order of 7 V Typical MOS logic ICs range from 7 to 15 V, and microprocessors typically stop operating at 3.3 to 5 V.
In addition to irreversible failures, pulsed electromagnetic influence can cause recoverable failures, or paralysis of a radio-electronic device when, due to overloads, it loses sensitivity for a certain period of time. False activations of sensitive elements are also possible, which can lead, for example, to the detonation of missile warheads, bombs, artillery shells and mines.
According to the spectral characteristics, EMR can be divided into two types: low-frequency, which creates electromagnetic pulsed radiation at frequencies below 1 MHz, and high-frequency, which provides radiation in the microwave range. Both types of EMO also have differences in the methods of implementation and, to some extent, in the ways of influencing radio-electronic devices. Thus, the penetration of low-frequency electromagnetic radiation into device elements is mainly due to interference from wired infrastructure, including telephone lines, cables external power supply, feeding and retrieving information. The penetration paths of electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range are more extensive - they also include direct penetration into radio-electronic equipment through the antenna system, since the microwave spectrum also covers the operating frequency of the suppressed equipment. The penetration of energy through structural holes and joints depends on their size and the wavelength of the electromagnetic pulse - the strongest coupling occurs at resonant frequencies, when the geometric dimensions are commensurate with the wavelength. At waves longer than the resonant one, the coupling decreases sharply, so the impact of low-frequency EMI, which depends on interference through holes and joints in the equipment housing, is small. At frequencies above the resonant one, the decay of the coupling occurs more slowly, but due to the many types of vibrations in the volume of the equipment, sharp resonances arise.
If the flow of microwave radiation is sufficiently intense, then the air in the holes and joints is ionized and becomes a good conductor, shielding the equipment from the penetration of electromagnetic energy. Thus, an increase in the energy incident on an object can lead to a paradoxical decrease in the energy acting on the equipment and, as a consequence, to a decrease in the efficiency of EMP.
Electromagnetic weapons also have biological effects on animals and humans, mainly related to their heating. In this case, not only directly heated organs suffer, but also those that are not directly in contact with electromagnetic radiation. In the body, chromosomal and genetic changes, activation and deactivation of viruses, changes in immunological and even behavioral reactions are possible. A rise in body temperature of 1°C is considered dangerous, and continued exposure in this case can lead to death.
Extrapolation of data obtained from animals allows us to establish a power density that is dangerous for humans. With prolonged irradiation with electromagnetic energy with a frequency of up to 10 GHz and a power density of 10 to 50 mW/cm2, convulsions, a state of increased excitability and loss of consciousness may occur. Noticeable heating of tissues when exposed to single pulses of the same frequency occurs at an energy density of about 100 J/cm2. At frequencies above 10 GHz, the permissible heating threshold decreases because all the energy is absorbed by the surface tissues. Thus, at a frequency of tens of gigahertz and a pulse energy density of only 20 J/cm2, a skin burn is observed.
Other effects of radiation are also possible. Thus, the normal potential difference between tissue cell membranes may be temporarily disrupted. When exposed to a single microwave pulse lasting from 0.1 to 100 ms with an energy density of up to 100 mJ/cm2, the activity of nerve cells changes and changes occur in the electroencephalogram. Low-density pulses (up to 0.04 mJ/cm2) cause auditory hallucinations, and at higher energy densities, hearing can be paralyzed or even the tissue of the auditory organs can be damaged.

METHODS OF IMPLEMENTING ELECTROMAGNETIC WEAPONS
Today, the main technical means of producing powerful electromagnetic pulses, which form the basis of low-frequency EMR, is a generator with explosive compression of the magnetic field, which was first demonstrated back in the late 50s at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the USA. Later, many modifications of such a generator were developed and tested in the USA and USSR, developing electrical energy tens of megajoules in time intervals from tens to hundreds of microseconds. At the same time, the peak power level reached units and tens of terawatts, and the current produced by the generator was 10–1000 times higher than the current generated by a lightning discharge.
The basis of a coaxial generator with explosive compression of the magnetic field is a cylindrical copper tube with an explosive substance, which performs the functions of a rotor (Fig. 1a). The stator of the generator is a spiral of durable (usually copper) wire surrounding a rotor tube. To prevent premature destruction of the generator, a casing made of non-magnetic material, usually cement or fiberglass with epoxy resin, is installed over the stator winding.
The initial magnetic field in the generator, preceding the explosion, is formed by the starting current. In this case, any external source can be used that can provide an electric current pulse with a force from several kiloamperes to megaamps. The explosive is detonated using a special generator at the moment when the current in the stator winding reaches its maximum. The resulting flat, homogeneous front of the blast wave propagates along the explosive, deforming the structure of the rotor tube - turning its cylindrical shape into a conical one (Fig. 1b). At the moment the tube expands to the size of the stator winding, a short circuit occurs in the winding, leading to the effect of compression of the magnetic field and the appearance of a powerful current pulse of the order of several tens of megaamps. The increase in output current compared to the starting current depends on the design of the generator and can reach several tens of times.
The implementation of low-frequency EMF in an effective version requires large antennas. To solve this problem, they use reels with cables of a certain length wound on them, ejected at the moment of the explosion of an electromagnetic device (bomb), or they carry out fairly accurate delivery of the weapon to the target. In the latter case, the targeting of an electromagnetic pulse to an enemy radio-electronic device can occur directly due to the connection with this device of the generator winding and will be stronger the closer the generator is to the suppressed object.
Another type of low frequency magnetic energy source high level a magnetodynamic generator driven by rocket fuel or explosives may appear. The operation of this generator is based on the generation of current in a conductor moving in a magnetic field, only plasma consisting of an ionized explosive or gaseous fuel is used as a conductor. However, today the level of development of this type of generator is lower than that of a generator with explosive compression of the magnetic field, and therefore for now it has less prospects for use in EMP.
When implementing high-frequency EMR, electronic devices such as well-known broadband magnetrons and klystrons, as well as gyrotrons, generators with a virtual cathode (vircators), free electron lasers and plasma-beam generators can be used as a generator of powerful microwave radiation. Laboratory sources of microwave radiation existing today are capable of operating in both pulsed (lasting 10 ns or more) and continuous modes, and cover the range from 500 MHz to tens of gigahertz with a repetition rate from units to thousands of pulses per second. The maximum generated power reaches several megawatts in continuous mode and several gigawatts in pulsed mode. According to former leader development of “non-lethal weapons” by John Alexander, specialists at the Los Alamos laboratory managed to increase the peak power of microwave generators with explosive compression of the magnetic field to tens of terawatts.
All types of microwave generators have different parameters. Thus, plasma-beam generators have a wide band, gyrotrons operate in the millimeter wavelength range with high efficiency (tens of percent), and vircators operate in the centimeter wavelength range and have low efficiency (several percent). The greatest interest is caused by vircators, which are the easiest to tune in frequency. As can be seen from Fig. 2, the design of a vircator with a coaxial virtual cathode is a round waveguide turning into a cone with a dielectric window at the end. The cathode is a metal cylindrical rod with a diameter of several centimeters, and the anode is a metal mesh stretched over the rim. When a positive potential of the order of 105–106 V is applied to the anode from the cathode, due to explosive emission, a flow of electrons rushes to the anode and passes through it into the space behind the anode, where it is inhibited by its own “Coulomb field.” It is then reflected back to the anode, thereby forming a virtual cathode at a distance from the anode approximately equal to the distance from it to the real cathode. The reflected electrons pass through the anode grid and are again decelerated at the surface of the real cathode. As a result, a cloud of electrons is formed, oscillating at the anode in a potential well between the virtual and real cathodes. The microwave field generated at the oscillation frequency of the electron cloud is emitted into space through a dielectric window.
The starting currents in vircators at which generation occurs are 1–10 kA. Vircators are most suitable for generating nanosecond pulses in the long-wavelength part of the centimeter range. Powers from 170 kW to 40 GW in the centimeter and decimeter ranges were experimentally obtained from them. The low efficiency of vircators is explained by the multimode nature of the generated electromagnetic field and interference between modes.
The advantage of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation over low-frequency electromagnetic radiation is the ability to focus the generated energy in the direction of the target using fairly compact antenna systems with mechanical or electronically controlled. Figure 3 shows one of the possible configurations for a conical helix antenna capable of operating at high power levels of a vircator generator. The presence of circular polarization helps to increase the damaging effect of electromagnetic radiation, however, this raises problems with ensuring a wide band.
Of interest is the American demonstration model of a high-power microwave radiation generator in the range 0.5–1.0 GHz MPS-II, using a mirror antenna with a diameter of 3 m. This installation develops pulse power about 1 GW (265 kWx3.5 kA) and has great capabilities for conducting information warfare. The manual for its operation and maintenance defines the affected area - 800 m from the device in sector 24. People with electronic heart stimulators are prohibited from accessing the installation. It is also indicated that the radiation from the installation erases credit cards and records on magnetic media.
If it is necessary to hit several targets at once, you can use phased array antennas, which allow you to form several beams simultaneously and quickly change their position. An example is the GEM2 active antenna array, developed for Boeing by the South African company PSI, which consists of 144 solid-state pulse emitters with a duration of less than 1 ns with a total power of 1 GW. The dimensions of this antenna array allow it to be installed on an aircraft.
However, when increasing power using phased array antennas, it is necessary to link permissible levels electromagnetic radiation with possible electrical breakdowns in the atmosphere. The limited electrical strength of air sets a limit on the flux density of microwave radiation. It has been experimentally established that the value of the limiting microwave energy density changes with frequency, pulse duration, air pressure and free electron density, at which the avalanche breakdown process begins. In the presence of free electrons and normal atmospheric pressure breakdown begins at a microwave power density of 105–106 W/cm2, if the pulse duration is more than 1 ns.
When choosing the operating frequency of microwave radiation, the conditions for the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the atmosphere are also taken into account. It is known that at a frequency of 3 GHz the radiation is attenuated at a distance of 10 km in moderate rain by 0.01 dB, but at a frequency of 30 GHz under the same conditions the attenuation already increases to 10 dB.

TACTICS OF USING ELECTROMAGNETIC WEAPONS
Electromagnetic weapons can be used in both stationary and mobile versions. With a stationary option, it is easier to meet the weight, size and energy requirements for the equipment and simplify its maintenance. But in this case, it is necessary to ensure high directionality of electromagnetic radiation towards the target in order to avoid damage to one’s own radio-electronic devices, which is only possible through the use of highly directional antenna systems. When implementing microwave radiation, the use of highly directional antennas is not a problem, which cannot be said regarding low-frequency EMF, for which the mobile option has a number of advantages. First of all, the problem of protecting one’s own radio-electronic equipment from the effects of electromagnetic radiation is easier to solve, since weapon can be delivered directly to the location of the affected object and only there can it be put into action. And besides, there is no need to use directional antenna systems, and in some cases it is possible to do without antennas altogether, limiting oneself to direct electromagnetic communication between the EMP generator and the enemy’s electronic devices.
When implementing a mobile version of electromagnetic radiation, it is necessary to provide for the collection of relevant information about targets subject to electromagnetic influence, and therefore an important role is assigned to electronic reconnaissance means. Since the vast majority of targets of interest emit radio waves with certain characteristics, reconnaissance means are able not only to identify them, but also to determine their location with sufficient accuracy. Aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, various missiles, ships, and glide bombs can serve as means of delivering mobile EMP.
An effective means of delivering EMP to a target is a glide bomb, which can be launched from an aircraft (helicopter) from a distance exceeding the range of the enemy’s air defense system, which minimizes the risk of the aircraft being hit by this system and the risk of damage to one’s own on-board electronic equipment when a bomb explodes. In this case, the autopilot of a gliding bomb can be programmed in such a way that the bomb’s flight profile to the target and the height of its detonation will be optimal. When using a bomb as an EMP carrier, the proportion of mass per warhead reaches 85%. The bomb can be detonated using a radar altimeter, a barometric device, or a global satellite navigation system (GSNS). In Fig. Figure 4 shows a set of bombs, and Figure 5 shows the profiles of their delivery to the target using GNSS.
Delivery of EMP to the target is also possible using special projectiles. Electromagnetic ammunition of medium caliber (100–120 mm), when triggered, generates a radiation pulse lasting several microseconds with an average power of tens of megawatts and a peak power of hundreds of times more. The radiation is isotropic, capable of detonating a detonator at a distance of 6–10 m, and at a distance of up to 50 m – disabling the “friend or foe” identification system, blocking the launch of an anti-aircraft guided missile from a man-portable anti-aircraft missile system, temporarily or permanently disabling non-contact anti-tank magnetic mines.
When an EMO is placed on a cruise missile, the moment of its activation is determined by the navigation system sensor, on an anti-ship missile - by the radar guidance head, and on an air-to-air missile - directly by the fuse system. Using a missile as a carrier of an electromagnetic warhead inevitably entails limiting the mass of the electromagnetic warhead due to the need to place electric batteries to drive the electromagnetic radiation generator. The ratio of the total mass of the warhead to the mass of the launched weapon is approximately 15 to 30% (for American rocket AGM/BGM-109 “Tomahawk” - 28%).
The effectiveness of EMP was confirmed in the military operation “Desert Storm”, where mainly aircraft and missiles were used and where the basis of the military strategy was the impact on electronic devices for collecting and processing information, target designation and communication elements in order to paralyze and disinformation the air defense system.

Literature
1. Carlo Kopp. The E-bomb is a Weapon of Electronical Mass Destruction. – Information Warfare: Thunder’s Month Press, New York, 1996.
2. Prishchepenko A. Electronic combat of ships - combat of the future. – Marine collection, 1993, No. 7.
3. Elmar Berwanger. Information Warfare – The Key to Success or Failure, not only on the Future Battlefield. – Battlefield Systems International 98 Conference Proceeding, v.1.
4. Clayborne D., Teylor and Nicolas H. Younan. Effects from High Power Microwave Illumination. – Microwave Journal, 1992, v.35, No. 6.
5. Antipin V., Godovitsin V. et al. The influence of powerful pulsed microwave interference on semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. – Foreign radio electronics, 1995, No. 1.
6. Florid H.K. The Future Battlefield – a Blast of Gigawatts. – IEEE Spectrum, 1988, v.25, No. 3.
7. Panov V., Sarkisyan A. Some aspects of the problem of creating microwave means of functional damage. – Foreign radio electronics, 1995, No. 10–12.
8. Winn Schwartau. More about HERF than some? – Information Warfare: Thunder’s month press, New York, 1996.
9. David A. Fulghum. Microwave Weapons Await a Future War. – Aviation Week and Space Technology, June 7, 1999.
10. Kardo-Sysoev A. Ultra-wideband electrodynamics. – Pulse systems. – St. Petersburg, 1997.
11. Prishchepenko A. Electromagnetic weapons in the battle of the future. – Marine collection, 1995, No. 3.

The second difficulty is the high energy consumption (due to low efficiency) and the rather long recharging time of the capacitors, which makes it necessary to carry a power source (usually a powerful battery) along with the Gauss gun. Efficiency can be greatly increased by using superconducting solenoids, but this will require powerful system cooling, which will significantly reduce the mobility of the Gauss gun.

The third difficulty (follows from the first two) is the large weight and dimensions of the installation, with its low efficiency.

Gauss gun in science fiction

The Gauss gun is very popular in science fiction, where it acts as a personal high-precision lethal weapon, as well as a stationary high-precision and (less often) high-velocity weapon.

In addition, the Gauss gun appears in a number of computer games. The funny thing is that most weapons have special effects that shouldn't be there.

When people talk about electromagnetic weapons, they most often mean the destruction of electrical and electronic equipment by directing electromagnetic pulses (EMP) at it. Indeed, the currents and voltages that arise as a result of a powerful impulse in electronic circuits lead to its failure. And the greater its power, the greater the distance at which any “signs of civilization” become unusable.

One of the most powerful sources of EMP is nuclear weapons. For example, a US nuclear test in the Pacific Ocean in 1958 caused disruption to radio and television broadcasts and lighting in Hawaii and disrupted radio navigation for 18 hours in Australia. In 1962, when at an altitude of 400 km. The Americans detonated a 1.9 Mt charge – 9 satellites “died”, radio communication was lost for a long time over a wide area Pacific Ocean. Therefore, an electromagnetic pulse is one of the damaging factors nuclear weapons.

But nuclear weapons are only applicable in a global conflict, and EMP capabilities are very useful in more applied military affairs. Therefore, non-nuclear means of destroying EMP began to be designed almost immediately after nuclear weapons.

Of course, EMP generators have been around for a long time. But creating a sufficiently powerful (and therefore “long-range”) generator is not so easy technically. After all, in essence, it is a device that converts electrical or other energy into high-power electromagnetic radiation. And if a nuclear weapon has no problems with primary energy, then if electricity is used together with power sources (voltage), it will be more of a structure than a weapon. Unlike a nuclear charge, delivering it “at the right time, in the right place” is more problematic.

And in the early 90s, reports began to appear about non-nuclear “electromagnetic bombs” (E-Bomb). As always, the source was the Western press, and the reason was the American operation against Iraq in 1991. The “new secret superweapon” was indeed used to suppress and disable Iraqi air defense and communications systems.

However, in our country such weapons were offered by academician Andrei Sakharov back in the 1950s (even before he became a “peacemaker”). By the way, at the peak of his creative activity (which did not occur during the period of dissidence, as many people think), he had a lot of original ideas. For example, during the war years he was one of the creators of an original and reliable device for monitoring armor-piercing cores at a cartridge factory.

And in the early 50s, he proposed “washing away” the eastern coast of the United States with a giant tsunami wave, which could be initiated by a series of powerful sea nuclear explosions at a considerable distance from the coast. True, the command of the Navy, having seen the “nuclear torpedo” made for this purpose, flatly refused to accept it for service for reasons of humanism - and even yelled at the scientist with a multi-deck foul language. Compared to this idea, the electromagnetic bomb is truly a “humane weapon.”

In the non-nuclear munition proposed by Sakharov, a powerful EMP was formed as a result of compression of the magnetic field of the solenoid by the explosion of a conventional explosive. Due to the high chemical energy density in the explosive, this eliminated the need to use an electrical energy source for conversion to EMP. In addition, in this way it was possible to obtain a powerful EMP. True, this also made the device disposable, since it was destroyed by the initiating explosion. In our country, this type of device began to be called an explosive magnetic generator (EMG).

Actually, the Americans and the British came up with this same idea in the late 70s, as a result of which the ammunition that was tested in combat in 1991 appeared. So there is nothing “new” or “super-secret” in this type of technology.

In our country (and the Soviet Union occupied a leading position in the field of physical research), such devices found application in purely peaceful scientific and technological fields - such as energy transportation, acceleration of charged particles, plasma heating, laser pumping, radar high resolution, modification of materials, etc. Of course, research was also carried out in the direction of military use. Initially, VMGs were used in nuclear weapons for neutron detonation systems. But there were also ideas of using the “Sakharov generator” as an independent weapon.

But before we talk about the use of EMP weapons, it should be said that the Soviet Army was preparing to fight in conditions of the use of nuclear weapons. That is, under the conditions acting on the technology damaging factor AMY. Therefore, all military equipment was developed taking into account protection from this damaging factor. The methods are different - from the simplest shielding and grounding of metal equipment casings to the use of special safety devices, arresters and EMI-resistant equipment architecture.

So it’s also not worth saying that there is no protection from this “miracle weapon”. And the range of action of EMP ammunition is not as large as in the American press - the radiation spreads in all directions from the charge, and its power density decreases in proportion to the square of the distance. Accordingly, the impact decreases. Of course, it is difficult to protect equipment near the detonation point. But there is no need to talk about an effective impact over kilometers - for sufficiently powerful ammunition it will be tens of meters (which, however, is greater than the affected area of high-explosive ammunition of the same size). Here the advantage of such a weapon - it does not require a precise hit - turns into a disadvantage.

Since the time of the “Sakharov generator”, such devices have been constantly improved. Many organizations were involved in their development: Institute high temperatures USSR Academy of Sciences, TsNIIKhM, MVTU, VNIIEF and many others. The devices have become compact enough to become combat units of weapons (from tactical missiles and artillery shells to sabotage weapons). Their characteristics improved. In addition to explosives, rocket fuel began to be used as a source of primary energy. EMGs began to be used as one of the cascades for pumping microwave generators. Despite their limited capabilities for hitting targets, these weapons occupy an intermediate position between fire weapons and electronic suppression weapons (which, in fact, are also electromagnetic weapons).

Little is known about specific specimens. For example, Alexander Borisovich Prishchepenko describes successful experiments in disrupting an attack by P-15 anti-ship missiles by detonating compact VMGs at distances of up to 30 meters from the missile. This is, rather, a means of EMP protection. He also describes the “blinding” of magnetic fuses of anti-tank mines, which, being at a distance of up to 50 meters from the place where the VMG was detonated, stopped working for a considerable time.

Not only “bombs” were tested as EMP ammunition - rocket-propelled grenades to blind the active protection systems (APS) of tanks! The RPG-30 anti-tank grenade launcher has two barrels: one main, the other small in diameter. A 42-mm Atropus rocket, equipped with an electromagnetic warhead, is fired in the direction of the tank slightly earlier than the cumulative grenade. Having blinded the KAZ, she allows the latter to calmly fly past the “thoughtful” defense.

Digressing a little, I will say that this is a fairly current trend. We came up with the KAZ (“Drozd” was also installed on the T-55AD). Later, Arena and the Ukrainian Zaslon appeared. By scanning the space surrounding the vehicle (usually in the millimeter range), they fire small destructive elements in the direction of approaching anti-tank grenades, missiles and even shells that can change their trajectory or lead to premature detonation. With an eye on our developments, the following complexes also began to appear in the West, Israel and Southeast Asia: “Trophy”, “Iron Fist”, “EFA”, “KAPS”, “LEDS-150”, “AMAP ADS”, "CICS", "SLID" and others. Now they are becoming widespread and are beginning to be routinely installed not only on tanks, but even on light armored vehicles. Countering them is becoming an integral part of the fight against armored vehicles and protected objects. And compact electromagnetic devices are ideally suited for this purpose.

But let's return to electromagnetic weapons. In addition to explosive magnetic devices, there are directional and omnidirectional EMR emitters that use various antenna devices as the radiating part. These are no longer disposable devices. They can be used over a considerable distance. They are divided into stationary, mobile and compact portable. Powerful stationary high-energy EMR emitters require the construction of special structures, high-voltage generator sets, and large antenna devices. But their possibilities are very significant. Mobile emitters of ultra-short EMR with a maximum repetition frequency of up to 1 kHz can be placed in vans or trailers. They also have a significant range and sufficient power for their tasks. Portable devices are most often used for a variety of security, communications, reconnaissance and explosives missions over short distances.

About the possibilities of domestic mobile installations can be judged by the export version of the Ranets-E complex presented at the LIMA-2001 arms exhibition in Malaysia. It is made on the MAZ-543 chassis, has a mass of about 5 tons, ensures guaranteed destruction of ground target electronics, aircraft or guided ammunition at ranges of up to 14 kilometers and disruptions in its operation at a distance of up to 40 km.

- “Sniper-M” “I-140/64” and “Gigawatt”

A little more should be said about electronic countermeasures. Moreover, they also belong to radio frequency electromagnetic weapons. This is so as not to create the impression that we are somehow unable to fight high-precision weapons and “almighty drones and combat robots.” All these fashionable and expensive things have a very weak point - electronics. Even relatively simple means can reliably block GPS signals and radio fuses, which these systems cannot do without.

VNII "Gradient" serially produces a station for jamming radio fuses of projectiles and missiles SPR-2 "Rtut-B", made on the basis of armored personnel carriers and standardly in service. Similar devices are produced by Minsk KB RADAR. And since up to 80% of Western field artillery shells, mines and unguided rockets, and almost all high-precision ammunition are now equipped with radio fuses, these fairly simple means make it possible to protect troops from destruction, including directly in the zone of contact with the enemy.

Concern "Constellation" RP-377 GPS

GPS When it is shown, every self-respecting Bedouin will be able to protect his settlement from “high-precision methods of democratization.”

Well, returning to the new physical principles of weapons, one cannot help but recall the developments of NIIRP (now a division of the Almaz-Antey air defense concern) and the Physico-Technical Institute named after. Ioffe. While studying the impact of powerful microwave radiation from the ground on airborne objects (targets), specialists from these institutions unexpectedly received local plasma formations. Upon contact with these formations, airborne targets underwent enormous dynamic overloads and were destroyed.

The coordinated operation of microwave radiation sources made it possible to quickly change the focusing point, that is, to retarget at enormous speed or to track objects of almost any aerodynamic characteristics. Experiments have shown that the impact is effective even against ICBM warheads. In fact, these are no longer even microwave weapons, but combat plasmoids.

Unfortunately, when in 1993 a team of authors presented a draft air defense/missile defense system based on these principles for consideration by the state, Boris Yeltsin immediately proposed joint development to the American president. And although cooperation on the project (thank God!) did not take place, perhaps this is what prompted the Americans to create a HAARP complex(High freguencu Active Auroral Research Program).

The research carried out on it since 1997 is declaratively of a “purely peaceful nature.” However, I personally do not see any civil logic in research into the effects of microwave radiation on the Earth’s ionosphere and airborne objects. We can only hope for the traditional American history of failed large-scale projects.

Well, we should be glad that the traditionally strong positions in the field basic research, the state’s interest in weapons based on new physical principles increased. Programs on it are now a priority.

US Air Force general who called for all-out confrontation with Russia leaves his post

IN Washington again heard the rhetoric today: “ cold war" Speaking to congressmen, Commander of US and NATO forces in Europe Philip Breedlove called To total confrontation with Russia.

"We are ready to fight and win"- said the Pentagon general. Breedlove has not tired of talking about the so-called “Russian aggression” for many years. Now he remembered that Moscow is strengthening its position in the Arctic - and, according to Breedlove, something needs to be done about this.

X Although the US commander does not yet have a specific plan. And even if he had, he still wouldn’t have had time to implement it. The 60-year-old general will soon leave his post. As specified in Congress, he will do “other things in another place.”

Original taken from geogen_mir V Weapons of the Gods. Electromagnetic weapons of Russia

Today is our "Alabuga"

Electronics jammer

Which were obtained at the intersection of radiation flows from several sources.

combat plasmoids.

HAARP DARPA Pentagon.

21 trillion. rubles of the general budget of the State Program, 3.2 trillion

"Krasukha-4"

TK-25E .

Multifunctional complex "Mercury-BM" "Gradient" 80%

Concern "Constellation" produces a series of small-sized (portable, transportable, autonomous) interference transmitters of the series RP-377. They can be used to jam signals GPS, and in a stand-alone version, equipped with power supplies, also placing transmitters in a certain area, limited only by the number of transmitters.

An export version of a more powerful suppression system is now being prepared GPS and weapon control channels. It is already a system of object and area protection against high-precision weapons. It is built according to a modular principle, which allows you to vary the area and objects of protection.

Among the unclassified developments, MNIRTI products are also known - "Sniper-M""I-140/64" And "Gigawatt", made on the basis of car trailers. They are, in particular, used to test means of protecting radio engineering and digital systems for military, special and civilian purposes from damage by EMP.

Educational program

Electromagnetic

Or the so-called “jammers” is a real type of weapon of the Russian army, already undergoing testing. The United States and Israel are also conducting successful developments in this area, but have relied on the use of EMP systems to generate the kinetic energy of a warhead

We took the path of a direct damaging factor and created prototypes of several combat systems at once - for ground forces, Air Force and Navy. According to experts working on the project, the development of the technology has already passed the stage of field testing, but now work is underway to correct errors and try to increase the power, accuracy and range of radiation. Today, our Alabuga, having exploded at an altitude of 200-300 meters, is capable of turning off all electronic equipment within a radius of 3.5 km and leaving a military unit of the battalion/regiment scale without communications, control, or fire guidance, while turning all existing enemy equipment into a pile of useless scrap metal. There are essentially no options left except to surrender and give up heavy weapons to the advancing units of the Russian army as trophies.

Electronics jammer

For the first time, the world saw a really working prototype of an electromagnetic weapon at the LIMA 2001 arms exhibition in Malaysia. An export version was presented there domestic complex"Satchel-E". It is made on the MAZ-543 chassis, has a mass of about 5 tons, ensures guaranteed destruction of the electronics of a ground target, aircraft or guided munition at ranges of up to 14 kilometers and disruption of its operation at a distance of up to 40 km. Despite the fact that the firstborn created a real sensation in the world media, experts noted a number of its shortcomings. Firstly, the size of the effectively hit target does not exceed 30 meters in diameter, and secondly, the weapon is disposable - reloading takes more than 20 minutes, during which the miracle gun has already been shot down 15 times from the air, and it can only work on targets in the open terrain, without the slightest visual obstacles. It is probably for these reasons that the Americans abandoned the creation of such directed EMP weapons, concentrating on laser technologies. Our gunsmiths decided to try their luck and try to “bring to fruition” the technology of directed EMP radiation.

A specialist from the Rostec concern, who for obvious reasons did not want to reveal his name, in an interview with Expert Online, expressed the opinion that electromagnetic pulse weapons are already a reality, but the whole problem lies in the methods of delivering them to the target. “We have a project in progress to develop a complex electronic warfare classified as "OV" under the name "Alabuga". This is a missile whose warhead is a high-frequency, high-power electromagnetic field generator.

Active pulse radiation produces something similar to a nuclear explosion, only without the radioactive component. Field tests have shown the high efficiency of the unit - not only radio-electronic, but also conventional electronic equipment of wired architecture fails within a radius of 3.5 km. Those. not only takes the main communication headsets out of normal operation, blinding and stunning the enemy, but also actually leaves the whole unit without any local electronic systems control, including weapons. The advantages of such a “non-lethal” defeat are obvious - the enemy will only have to surrender, and the equipment can be received as a trophy. The only problem is effective means delivery of this charge - it has a relatively large mass and the missile must be quite large, and, as a result, very vulnerable to destruction by air defense/missile defense systems,” the expert explained.

Interesting are the developments of NIIRP (now a division of the Almaz-Antey air defense concern) and the Physico-Technical Institute named after. Ioffe. While studying the impact of powerful microwave radiation from the ground on air objects (targets), specialists from these institutions unexpectedly received local plasma formations, which were obtained at the intersection of radiation flows from several sources. Upon contact with these formations, air targets underwent enormous dynamic overloads and were destroyed. The coordinated operation of microwave radiation sources made it possible to quickly change the focusing point, that is, to retarget at enormous speed or to track objects of almost any aerodynamic characteristics. Experiments have shown that the impact is effective even against ICBM warheads. In fact, these are no longer even microwave weapons, but combat plasmoids. Unfortunately, when in 1993 a team of authors submitted a draft air defense/missile defense system based on these principles to the state for consideration, Boris Yeltsin immediately proposed joint development to the American president. And although cooperation on the project did not take place, perhaps this is what prompted the Americans to create the HAARP (High Freguencu Active Auroral Research Program) complex in Alaska - a research project to study the ionosphere and auroras. Let us note that for some reason that peaceful project is funded by the Pentagon’s DARPA agency.

Already entering service with the Russian army

To understand what place the topic of electronic warfare occupies in the military-technical strategy of the Russian military department, just look at the State Armaments Program until 2020. Of the 21 trillion rubles of the total GPV budget, 3.2 trillion (about 15%) is planned to be spent on the development and production of attack and defense systems using sources of electromagnetic radiation. For comparison, in the Pentagon budget, according to experts, this share is much smaller - up to 10%. Now let's look at what can already be “touched”, i.e. those products that have reached series production and entered service over the past few years.

Mobile electronic warfare systems "Krasukha-4" suppress spy satellites, ground-based radars and AWACS aircraft systems, completely block radar detection at 150-300 km, and can also cause radar damage to enemy electronic warfare and communications equipment. The operation of the complex is based on creating powerful interference at the main frequencies of radars and other radio-emitting sources. Manufacturer: JSC Bryansk Electromechanical Plant (BEMZ).

The TK-25E sea-based electronic warfare system provides effective protection for ships of various classes. The complex is designed to provide radio-electronic protection of an object from air- and ship-based radio-controlled weapons by creating active jamming. The complex is designed to be interfaced with various systems of the protected object, such as a navigation complex, a radar station, and an automated combat control system. The TK-25E equipment provides the creation of various types of interference with a spectrum width from 64 to 2000 MHz, as well as pulsed misinforming and imitation interference using signal copies. The complex is capable of simultaneously analyzing up to 256 targets. Equipping the protected object with the TK-25E complex reduces the likelihood of its destruction by three or more times.

The multifunctional complex "Rtut-BM" has been developed and produced at KRET enterprises since 2011 and is one of the most modern electronic warfare systems. The main purpose of the station is to protect manpower and equipment from single and salvo fire from artillery ammunition equipped with radio fuses. Developer enterprise: OJSC All-Russian Scientific Research Institute "Gradient" (VNII "Gradient"). Similar devices are produced by Minsk KB RADAR. Note that up to 80% of Western field artillery shells, mines and unguided rockets and almost all high-precision ammunition are now equipped with radio fuses; these fairly simple means can protect troops from destruction, including directly in the zone of contact with the enemy.

The Sozvezdie concern produces a series of small-sized (portable, transportable, autonomous) jammers of the RP-377 series. With their help, you can jam GPS signals, and in a stand-alone version, equipped with power supplies, you can also place transmitters over a certain area, limited only by the number of transmitters. An export version of a more powerful system for suppressing GPS and weapon control channels is now being prepared. It is already a system of object and area protection against high-precision weapons. It is built according to a modular principle, which allows you to vary the area and objects of protection. Among the unclassified developments, MNIRTI products are also known - “Sniper-M” “I-140/64” and “Gigawatt”, made on the basis of car trailers. They are, in particular, used to test means of protecting radio engineering and digital systems for military, special and civilian purposes from damage by EMP.

Educational program

The element base of RES is very sensitive to energy overloads, and a flow of electromagnetic energy of a sufficiently high density can burn out semiconductor junctions, completely or partially disrupting their normal functioning. Low-frequency EMF creates an electromagnetic pulse

radiation at frequencies below 1 MHz, high-frequency EMF is affected by microwave radiation - both pulsed and continuous. Low-frequency EMF affects the object through interference to the wired infrastructure, including telephone lines, external power cables, data supply and removal. High-frequency EMF directly penetrates into the radio-electronic equipment of an object through its antenna system. In addition to affecting the enemy's electronic resources, high-frequency electromagnetic radiation can also affect the skin and internal organs person. At the same time, as a result of their heating in the body, chromosomal and genetic changes, activation and deactivation of viruses, transformation of immunological and behavioral reactions are possible.

The main technical means of producing powerful electromagnetic pulses, which form the basis of low-frequency EMP, is a generator with explosive compression of the magnetic field. Another potential type of low-frequency, high-level magnetic energy source could be a magnetodynamic generator driven by rocket fuel or explosive. When implementing high-frequency EMR, electronic devices such as broadband magnetrons and klystrons, gyrotrons operating in the millimeter range, generators with a virtual cathode (vircators) using the centimeter range, free electron lasers and broadband plasma beams can be used as a generator of powerful microwave radiation. generators.

Electromagnetic weapons: where the Russian army is ahead of its competitors

Pulse electromagnetic weapons, or so-called. “jammers” is a real type of weapon of the Russian army, already undergoing testing. The United States and Israel are also conducting successful developments in this area, but have relied on the use of EMP systems to generate the kinetic energy of a warhead.

We took the path of direct damage and created prototypes of several combat systems at once - for the ground forces, air force and navy. According to experts working on the project, the development of the technology has already passed the stage of field testing, but now work is underway to correct errors and try to increase the power, accuracy and range of radiation.

Today is our "Alabuga", exploding at an altitude of 200-300 meters, is capable of turning off all electronic equipment within a radius of 3.5 km and leaving a military unit of the battalion/regiment scale without communications, control, or fire guidance, while turning all the enemy’s available equipment into a pile of useless scrap metal. Apart from surrendering and handing over heavy weapons to the advancing units of the Russian army as trophies, there are essentially no options left.

Electronics jammer

The advantages of such a “non-lethal” defeat are obvious - the enemy will only have to surrender, and the equipment can be received as a trophy. The only problem is the effective means of delivering this charge - it has a relatively large mass and the missile must be quite large, and, as a result, very vulnerable to destruction by air defense/missile defense systems,” the expert explained.

Upon contact with these formations, air targets underwent enormous dynamic overloads and were destroyed. The coordinated operation of microwave radiation sources made it possible to quickly change the focusing point, that is, to retarget at enormous speed or to accompany objects of almost any aerodynamic characteristics. Experiments have shown that the impact is effective even against ICBM warheads. In fact, this is no longer even a microwave weapon, but combat plasmoids.

Unfortunately, when in 1993 a team of authors submitted a draft air defense/missile defense system based on these principles to the state for consideration, Boris Yeltsin immediately proposed joint development to the American president. And although cooperation on the project did not take place, perhaps this is what prompted the Americans to create a complex in Alaska HAARP (High freguencu Active Auroral Research Program)- a research project to study the ionosphere and auroras. Note that for some reason that peaceful project has agency funding DARPA Pentagon.

Already entering service with the Russian army

To understand what place the topic of electronic warfare occupies in the military-technical strategy of the Russian military department, just look at the State Armaments Program until 2020. From 21 trillion. rubles of the general budget of the State Program, 3.2 trillion. (about 15%) is planned to be used for the development and production of attack and defense systems using sources of electromagnetic radiation. For comparison, in the Pentagon budget, according to experts, this share is much smaller - up to 10%.

Now let's look at what can already be “touched”, i.e. those products that have reached series production and entered service over the past few years.

Mobile electronic warfare systems "Krasukha-4" suppress spy satellites, ground-based radars and AWACS aircraft systems, completely block radar detection at 150-300 km, and can also cause radar damage to enemy electronic warfare and communications equipment. The operation of the complex is based on creating powerful interference at the main frequencies of radars and other radio-emitting sources. Manufacturer: JSC Bryansk Electromechanical Plant (BEMZ).

Sea-based electronic warfare system TK-25E provides effective protection for ships of various classes. The complex is designed to provide radio-electronic protection of an object from air- and ship-based radio-controlled weapons by creating active jamming. The complex is designed to be interfaced with various systems of the protected object, such as a navigation complex, a radar station, and an automated combat control system. The TK-25E equipment provides the creation of various types of interference with a spectrum width from 64 to 2000 MHz, as well as pulsed misinforming and imitation interference using signal copies. The complex is capable of simultaneously analyzing up to 256 targets. Equipping the protected object with the TK-25E complex reduces the likelihood of his defeat by three or more times.

Multifunctional complex "Mercury-BM" developed and produced at KRET enterprises since 2011 and is one of the most modern electronic warfare systems. The main purpose of the station is to protect manpower and equipment from single and salvo fire from artillery ammunition equipped with radio fuses. Developer: OJSC All-Russian "Gradient"(VNII "Gradient"). Similar devices are produced by Minsk KB RADAR. Note that radio fuses are now equipped with up to 80% Western field artillery shells, mines and unguided rockets and almost all precision-guided ammunition, these fairly simple means can protect troops from destruction, including directly in the zone of contact with the enemy.

Educational program

Low-frequency EMF creates electromagnetic pulse radiation at frequencies below 1 MHz, high-frequency EMF is affected by microwave radiation - both pulsed and continuous. Low-frequency EMF affects the object through interference to the wired infrastructure, including telephone lines, external power cables, data supply and removal. High-frequency EMF directly penetrates into the radio-electronic equipment of an object through its antenna system.

In addition to affecting the enemy's electronic resources, high-frequency electromagnetic radiation can also affect the skin and internal organs of a person. At the same time, as a result of their heating in the body, chromosomal and genetic changes, activation and deactivation of viruses, transformation of immunological and behavioral reactions are possible.

When implementing high-frequency EMR, electronic devices such as broadband magnetrons and klystrons, gyrotrons operating in the millimeter range, generators with a virtual cathode (vircators) using the centimeter range, free electron lasers and broadband plasma beams can be used as a generator of powerful microwave radiation. generators.

Electromagnetic weapon, EATAND

Electromagnetic gun "Angara", tesT

Electronic bomb - a fantastic weapon of Russia

The idea of using electrical energy for shooting is not an invention of recent decades. The principle of throwing a projectile using a coil electromagnetic gun was invented in 1895 by an Austrian engineer, a representative of the Viennese school of astronautics pioneers, Franz Oskar Leo-Elder von Geft. While still a student, Geft “fell ill” with astronautics. Influenced by Jules Verne's novel From the Earth to the Moon, he began with a design for a cannon that could be used to launch spaceships to the Moon. Geft understood that the enormous acceleration of a gunpowder gun prohibited the use of the French science fiction version, and proposed an electric gun: in the solenoid-barrel, when an electric current flows, a magnetic field arises, which accelerates the ferromagnetic projectile, “pulling” it inside the solenoid, while the projectile accelerates more smoothly. Geft’s project remained a project; it was not possible to implement it in practice at that time. Subsequently, such a device was called a Gauss gun after the German scientist Carl Friedrich Gauss, who laid the foundations of the mathematical theory of electromagnetism.

In 1901, physics professor at the University of Oslo Christian Olaf Berhard Birkeland received Norwegian patent No. 11201 for “a new method of firing projectiles using electromagnetic forces” (for the Gauss electromagnetic gun). This gun was intended for firing at ground targets. In the same year, Birkeland built his first Gauss cannon with a barrel length of 1 m. With the help of this gun, he succeeded in 1901-1902. accelerate a projectile weighing 500 g to a speed of 50 m/s. The estimated firing range was no more than 1,000 m (the result is quite weak even for the beginning of the 20th century). Using a second large cannon (caliber 65 mm, barrel length 3 m), built in 1903, Birkeland accelerated the projectile to a speed of approximately 100 m/s, while the projectile penetrated through a wooden plank 5 inches (12.7 cm) thick ( the shooting took place indoors). This cannon (Fig. 1) is currently on display at the University of Oslo Museum. It should be said that Birkeland began creating this gun in order to obtain significant financial resources necessary for him to conduct scientific research in the field of such a phenomenon as the northern lights. In an effort to sell his invention, Birkeland gave the public and interested parties a demonstration of the gun in action at the University of Oslo. Unfortunately, the tests failed because an electrical short circuit in the gun caused a fire and caused it to fail. After the commotion, no one wanted to purchase either the gun or the patent. The gun could have been repaired, but Birkeland refused to carry out further work in this direction and, together with the engineer Eide, began producing artificial mineral fertilizers, who brought him the funds necessary for scientific research.

In 1915, Russian engineers N. Podolsky and M. Yampolsky created a project for an ultra-long-range cannon (magnetic-fugal gun) with a firing range of 300 km. The gun barrel length was planned to be about 50 m, the initial projectile speed was 915 m/s. The project didn't go any further. The project was rejected by the Artillery Committee of the Main Artillery Directorate of the Russian Imperial Army, which considered that the time had not yet come for such projects. One of the reasons for the refusal is the difficulty of creating a powerful mobile power station that would always be next to the gun.

What should be the power of such a power plant? To throw, for example, a projectile from a 76-mm firearm, a huge energy of 113,000 kgm, i.e. 250,000 liters, is expended. With. This is exactly the energy required to fire a 76mm non-firearm cannon (such as an electric one) to throw a projectile the same distance. But at the same time, significant energy losses amounting to at least 50% are inevitable. Consequently, the power of the electric gun would be no less than 500,000 hp. s., and this is the power of a huge power plant. In addition, to impart this enormous energy to a projectile in a negligibly small period of time, a current is needed enormous power, which is almost equal to the short circuit current. To increase the duration of the current, it is necessary to lengthen the barrel of the electric gun, otherwise the projectile will not be accelerated to the required speed. In this case, the length of the trunk can be 100 meters or more.

In 1916, the French inventor Andre Louis Octave Fachon Villeple created a model of an electromagnetic gun. Using a chain of solenoid coils as a barrel, to which voltage was sequentially applied, it current model successfully accelerated a projectile weighing 50 g to a speed of 200 m/s. Compared to real artillery installations, the result was quite modest, but demonstrated fundamental new opportunity creating weapons in which the projectile is accelerated without the help of powder gases. However, everything stopped there, since it was not possible to create a full-size copy due to the enormous technical difficulties of the upcoming work and their high cost. In Fig. Figure 2 shows a sketch of this unbuilt electromagnetic gun.

It was further revealed that when a ferromagnetic projectile passes through the solenoid, poles are formed at its ends that are symmetrical to the poles of the solenoid, which is why, after passing the center of the solenoid, the projectile, in accordance with the law of magnetic poles, begins to decelerate. This entailed a change in the time diagram of the current in the solenoid, namely: at the moment the projectile approaches the center of the solenoid, the power is switched to the next solenoid.

In the 30s XX century German designer and promoter of interplanetary flights Max Vallier proposed original idea a ring electric accelerator consisting entirely of solenoids (a kind of ancestor of the modern hadron collider), in which the projectile could theoretically accelerate to enormous speeds. Then, by switching the “arrow”, the projectile had to be directed into a pipe of a certain length, located tangentially relative to the main ring of the electric accelerator. From this tube-barrel the projectile would fly out like from a cannon. So it would be possible to launch Earth satellites. However, at that time the level of science and technology did not allow the production of such an electric accelerator gun.

In 1934, American inventor Virgil Rigsby of San Antonio, Texas, produced two working electromagnetic machine guns and received U.S. Patent No. 1959737 for an automatic electric gun.

The first model received energy from a regular car battery and, using 17 electromagnets, accelerated bullets through a 33-inch barrel. The controlled distributor included switched the supply voltage from the previous electromagnet coil to the next coil (along the direction of the bullet) so that the pulling magnetic field always overtook the bullet.

The second model of the machine gun (Fig. 3) fired 22 caliber bullets at a speed of 121 m/s. The stated rate of fire of the machine gun was 600 rounds per minute, however, during the demonstration the machine gun fired at a speed of 7 rounds per minute. The reason for this shooting was probably the insufficient power of the power source. The American military remained indifferent to the electromagnetic machine gun.

In the 20s and 30s. last century in the USSR, the development of new types of artillery weapons was carried out by KOSARTOP - the Commission for Special Artillery Experiments, and its plans included a project to create an electric weapon using direct current. An enthusiastic supporter of the new artillery weapons was Mikhail Nikolaevich Tukhachevsky, later, from 1935, Marshal of the Soviet Union. However, calculations made by experts showed that such a weapon can be created, but it will be very large in size, and most importantly, it will require so much electricity that you will have to have your own power plant next to it. Soon KOSARTOP was dissolved, and work on creating an electric weapon ceased.

During World War II, Japan developed and built a Gauss cannon, with which it accelerated a projectile to a speed of 335 m/s. At the end of the war, American scientists examined this installation: a projectile weighing 86 g could only be accelerated to a speed of 200 m/s. As a result of the research performed, the advantages and disadvantages of the Gauss gun were determined.

The Gauss gun as a weapon has advantages that other types of weapons, including small arms, do not have, namely: the absence of cartridges, the possibility of a silent shot if the projectile speed does not exceed the speed of sound; relatively low recoil, equal to the impulse of the ejected projectile, the absence of additional impulse from powder gases or moving parts of the weapon, theoretically greater reliability and wear resistance, as well as the possibility of use in any conditions, including in outer space. However, despite the apparent simplicity of the Gauss cannon and the advantages listed above, using it as a weapon is fraught with serious difficulties.

Firstly, this is a high energy consumption and, accordingly, low efficiency of the installation. Only 1 to 7% of the capacitor charge is converted into the kinetic energy of the projectile. This disadvantage can be partially compensated for by using a multi-stage projectile acceleration system, but in any case the efficiency does not exceed 25%.

Secondly, this large weight and dimensions of the installation with its low efficiency.

It should be noted that in the first half of the 20th century. In parallel with the development of the theory and practice of the Gauss gun, another direction in the creation of electromagnetic ballistic weapons developed, using the force arising from the interaction of the magnetic field and electric current (Ampere force).

Patent No. 1370200 André Fachon-Villepleix

On July 31, 1917, the previously mentioned French inventor Fachon-Villepleit filed an application with the US Patent Office for an “Electric gun or apparatus for propelling projectiles forward” and on March 1, 1921 received patent No. 1370200 for this device. Structurally, the gun consisted of two parallel copper rails placed inside a barrel made of non-magnetic material. The barrel passed through the centers of several identical electromagnetic blocks (EMBs), placed along it at a certain interval. Each such block was an W-shaped core made of sheets of electrical steel, closed by a jumper made of the same material, with windings placed on the outer rods. The central rod had a gap in the center of the block, into which the gun barrel was placed. The feathered projectile was placed on the rails. When the device is turned on, the current from the positive pole of the source DC voltage The power supply passed through the left rail, the projectile (from left to right), the right rail, the EMB switching contact, closed by the projectile wing, the EMB coils and returned to the negative pole of the power source. In this case, in the middle rod of the EMB, the magnetic induction vector has a direction from top to bottom. The interaction of this magnetic flux and the electric current flowing through the projectile creates a force applied to the projectile and directed away from us - the Ampere force (in accordance with the left-hand rule). Under the influence of this force, the projectile receives acceleration. After the projectile leaves the first EMB, its switching contact is turned off, and when the projectile approaches the second EMB, the switching contact of this block is turned on by the wing of the projectile, creating another force impulse, etc.

During World War II in Nazi Germany, the Fachon-Villeple idea was taken up by Joachim Hansler, an official at the Ministry of Armaments. In 1944, he designed and manufactured the LM-2 10mm cannon. During its tests, a 10-gram aluminum “shell” was accelerated to a speed of 1.08 km/s. Based on this development, the Luftwaffe prepared technical specifications for electric anti-aircraft gun. The initial speed of a projectile containing 0.5 kg of explosives was required to be 2.0 km/s, and the rate of fire should be 6-12 rounds/min. This gun did not have time to go into production - Germany suffered a crushing defeat under the attacks of the Allies. Subsequently, the prototype and project documentation fell into the hands of the American military. Based on the results of their tests in 1947, a conclusion was made: for the normal functioning of the gun, energy was required that could illuminate half of Chicago.

The results obtained from tests of Gauss and Hansler guns led to the fact that in 1957, scientists participating in a symposium on hyper-velocity strikes held by the US Air Force came to the following conclusion: “…. It is unlikely that electromagnetic gun technology will be successful in the near future."

However, despite the lack of serious practical results that meet the requirements of the military, many scientists and engineers did not agree with these conclusions and continued research into the creation of electromagnetic ballistic weapons.

Bus electromagnetic plasma accelerators

The next step in the development of electromagnetic ballistic weapons was made as a result of the creation of bus electromagnetic plasma accelerators. Greek word plasma means something sculpted. The term “plasma” in physics was introduced in 1924 by the American scientist Irving Langmuir, who studied the properties of ionized gas in connection with work on new light sources.

In 1954-1956. in the USA, Professor Winston H. Bostic, working at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, part of University of California, studied plasmas “packed” in a magnetic field, obtained using a special “plasma” gun. This “gun” consisted of a closed glass cylinder with a diameter of four inches, inside which two titanium electrodes saturated with heavy hydrogen were installed in parallel. The air from the vessel was removed. The device also included a source of an external constant magnetic field, the magnetic flux induction vector of which had a direction perpendicular to the plane of the electrodes. One of these electrodes was connected through a cyclic switch to one pole of a high-voltage high-ampere source direct current, and the second electrode - to the other pole of the same source. When the cyclic switch is turned on, a pulsating electric arc appears in the gap between the electrodes, the current in which reaches several thousand amperes; The duration of each pulsation is approximately 0.5 μs. In this case, deuterium ions and electrons seem to evaporate from both electrodes. The resulting plasma clot closes the electrical circuit between the electrodes and, under the action of the ponderomotive force, accelerates and flows down from the ends of the electrodes, transforming into a ring - a plasma toroid, the so-called plasmoid; this ring is pushed forward at a speed reaching 200 km/s.

For the sake of historical justice, it should be noted that in the Soviet Union back in 1941-1942. In besieged Leningrad, Professor Georgy Ilyich Babat created a high-frequency transformer, the secondary winding of which was not wire turns, but a ring of ionized gas, a plasmoid. At the beginning of 1957 in the USSR, a young scientist Aleksey Ivanovich Morozov published in the journal of experimental and theoretical physics, JETP, an article “On the acceleration of plasma by a magnetic field”, theoretically considering in it the process of acceleration by a magnetic field of a plasma jet through which a current flows in a vacuum, and six months later, the same journal published an article by Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Lev Andreevich Artsimovich and his collaborators, “Electrodynamic acceleration of plasma clots,” in which they propose using the electrodes’ own magnetic field to accelerate plasma. In the experiment they performed, the electrical circuit consisted of a 75 µF capacitor bank connected through a ball gap to massive copper electrodes (“rails”). The latter were placed in a glass cylindrical chamber under continuous pumping. Previously, a thin metal wire was laid across the “rails”. The vacuum in the discharge chamber at the time preceding the experiment was 1-2×10 -6 mm Hg. Art.

When a voltage of 30 kV was applied to the “rails,” the wire exploded, the resulting plasma continued to bridge the “rails,” and a large current flowed in the circuit.

As is known, the direction of magnetic field lines is determined by the right-hand gimlet rule: if the current flows in the direction away from the observer, the field lines are directed clockwise. As a result, a common unidirectional magnetic field is created between the rails, the magnetic flux induction vector of which is directed perpendicular to the plane in which the rails are located. The current flowing through the plasma and located in this field is affected by the Ampere force, the direction of which is determined by the left-hand rule: if you position your hand in the direction of the current flow so that the magnetic field lines enter the palm, thumb will indicate the direction of the force. As a result, the plasma will accelerate along the rails (a metal conductor or projectile sliding along the rails would also accelerate). The maximum speed of plasma motion at a distance of 30 cm from the initial position of the wire, obtained from processing ultra-high-speed photographic measurements, was 120 km/s. As a matter of fact, this is exactly the accelerator circuit that is now commonly called a railgun, in English terminology - railgun, the principle of operation of which is shown in Fig. 4, where 1 is a rail, 2 is a projectile, 3 is force, 4 is a magnetic field, 5 is an electric current.

However, for a long time there was no talk of putting a projectile on the rails and making a weapon out of the railgun. To implement this idea, it was necessary to solve a number of problems:

create a low-resistance, low-inductance constant voltage supply source with the highest possible power;
develop requirements for the duration and shape of the accelerating current pulse and for the entire railgun system as a whole, ensuring effective acceleration of the projectile and high efficiency of conversion of electromagnetic energy into the kinetic energy of the projectile, and implement them;
to develop a “rails-projectile” pair that, having maximum electrical conductivity, can withstand the thermal shock that occurs during a shot from the flow of current and friction of the projectile on the rails;
to develop a railgun design that would withstand the influence of Ampere forces on the rails associated with the flow of a gigantic current through them (under the influence of these forces the rails tend to “scatter” from each other).

The main thing, of course, was the lack of a necessary power source, and such a source appeared. But more on that at the end of the article.

Found a typo? Select a fragment and press Ctrl+Enter.

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This book was written by dozens of authors who, in the media and online publications, strive to show that qualitatively new types of weapons have been created and really threaten humanity. Someone, not without humor, called some of them “non-lethal.” Sergei Ionin proposes a new term - “parallel weapons”, that is, weapons that are not considered at international conferences and summits, are not recorded in documents on the limitation of various weapons, but these are weapons that, perhaps, will be more dangerous than those that already exist.

The publication is of interest to the widest range of readers: the question posed by the author is acute: with what and how will they kill us in the 21st century? - will not leave anyone indifferent.

ELECTROMAGNETIC WEAPONS

Even during Operation Desert Storm, the Americans tested several samples of electromagnetic bombs. The use of similar bombs continued in 1999 in Serbia. And during the second Iraqi campaign, American troops bombed Baghdad in Once again An electromagnetic bomb was used to suppress the electronic communications of the Iraqi state broadcasting station. Its strike paralyzed Iraqi television for several hours.

Electromagnetic bombs, emitting powerful pulses, are weapons designed to disable electronic communication and control systems, electronic components of all types of weapons, with minimal casualties among civilians and preserving infrastructure.

Computers used both in life support systems and those built into computers are potentially vulnerable to exposure to electromagnetic pulses. military equipment.

The effect of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) was first observed during high-altitude nuclear tests. It is characterized by the generation of a very short (hundreds of nanoseconds) but intense electromagnetic pulse, which propagates from a source with decreasing intensity. This pulse of energy produces a powerful electromagnetic field, especially near the explosion site. The field can be strong enough to cause short-term surges of thousands of volts in electrical conductors, such as wires or the conductive traces of printed circuits.

In this aspect, EMP has military significance as it can cause permanent damage to a wide range of electrical and electronic equipment, especially computers and radio or radar receivers. Depending on the electromagnetic immunity of the electronics, the degree of resilience of the equipment to EMP exposure, and the intensity of the field produced by the weapon, the equipment may be destroyed or damaged and may require complete replacement.

Computer equipment is particularly vulnerable to EMI because it is primarily built on high-density MOS devices, which are very sensitive to high-voltage transients. MOS devices require very little energy to damage or destroy them. Any voltage of the order of tens of volts will destroy the device. Shielded enclosures for equipment provide only limited protection since any cables entering or leaving the equipment will behave like antennas, directing high voltage into the equipment.

Computers used in data processing systems, communications systems, information display systems, industrial control systems, including highway and railway signaling systems, and computers embedded in military equipment such as signal processors, flight control systems, digital engine control systems, - all of them are potentially vulnerable to the effects of EMR.

Other electronic devices and electrical equipment may also be destroyed by EMP. Radar and electronic military equipment, satellite, microwave, VHF-HF, low frequency communications and television equipment are potentially vulnerable to EMR exposure.

The main technologies in the development of electromagnetic bombs are: generators with compression of the electromagnetic flux using explosives, operating on explosives or powder charges, magnetohydrodynamic generators and a whole set microwave devices high power, of which the most effective is an oscillator with a virtual cathode.

Explosive flow compression generators (FC generators) are the most mature technology in bomb development. FC oscillators were first demonstrated by Clarence Fowler at Los Alamos in the late 1950s. Since then, a wide range of FC generator designs have been created and tested, both in the USA and in, and later in the CIS.

An FC generator is a device in a relatively compact package that can produce electrical energy on the order of tens of megajoules in hundreds of microseconds. With peak power ranging from a few to tens of TW, FC oscillators can be used directly or as a source of short pulses for microwave oscillators. For comparison, the current produced by large FC generators is 10-1000 times greater than the current produced by a typical lightning strike.

The central idea behind the FC generator design is to use a "fast" explosive to rapidly compress a magnetic field, converting the explosive's energy into a magnetic field.

The initial magnetic field in FC generators before the explosive is initiated is produced by the starting current, which is provided by external sources such as a high voltage capacitor, small FC generators or MHD devices. In principle, any equipment capable of producing an electric current pulse from tens of kA to several milliamps is suitable.

Several geometric configurations of FC regenerators have been described in the literature. Typically, coaxial FC generators are used. The coaxial arrangement is of particular interest in the context of this article, since the cylindrical form factor makes it easier to “package” FC generators into bombs and warheads.

In a typical coaxial FC generator, a cylindrical copper tube forms the armature. This pipe is filled with "fast" high-energy explosives. Several types of explosives were used, from compositions B and C to machine-processed RVH-9501 blocks. The armature is surrounded by a spiral, usually copper, which forms the stator of the FC generator. The stator winding in some designs is split into segments, with wires branching at the boundaries of the segments, in order to optimize the electromagnetic inductance of the armature helix.

The intense magnetic forces produced during operation of an FC generator can potentially cause premature destruction of the generator if countermeasures are not taken. Usually they consist of supplementing the structure with a shell made of non-magnetic material. Concrete or fiberglass in an epoxy matrix can be used. In principle, any material with suitable mechanical and electrical properties can be used. Where the weight of the structure is significant, for example in warheads cruise missiles, glass or Kevlar epoxy composites are the most viable candidates.

Typically, the explosive is initiated when the starting current reaches a peak value. Initiation is usually accomplished using a generator, which produces a detonation wave with a uniform, flat front in the explosive. Once initiated, the front propagates through the explosive in the armature, deforming it into a cone (12–14° arc). Where the armature expands until the stator is completely filled, a short circuit occurs between the ends of the stator winding. A propagating short circuit has the effect of compressing the magnetic field. The result is that such a generator produces a pulse of increasing current, the peak value of which is reached before the final destruction of the device. According to published data, rise times range from tens to hundreds of microseconds and depend on device parameters, with peak currents of tens of milliamps and peak energies of tens of megajoules.

The current gain achieved (i.e. the ratio of output to start current) varies depending on the type of design, but values as high as 60 have already been demonstrated. In military applications where weight and volume are significant, the smallest starting current sources are desirable. These applications can use cascaded FC oscillators, where a small FC oscillator is used as the starting current source for a larger FC oscillator.

The design of MHD generators based on powder charges and explosives is much less developed than the design of FC generators.

The principles behind the design of MHD instruments are that a conductor moving through a magnetic field will produce an electric current perpendicular to the direction of the field and the movement of the conductor. In an MHD generator based on explosives or a powder charge, the conductor is plasma - ionized gas from the explosive, which moves across the magnetic field. The current is collected by electrodes that are in contact with the plasma jet.

Although FC generators are a potential technological basis for generating high-power electrical pulses, their output, due to the physics of the process, is limited to a frequency band below 1 MHz. At such frequencies, many targets will be difficult to attack even with very high energy levels, and furthermore, focusing the energy from such devices will be problematic. A high power microwave source solves both problems because it output power can be well focused. In addition, microwave radiation is better absorbed by many types of targets.

Oscillators with a virtual cathode are being developed, vircators - disposable devices capable of producing a very powerful single pulse of energy, simple in design, small in size, durable, which can operate in a relatively wide frequency band of the microwave range.

The physics of the operation of vircators is significantly more complex than the physics of the previously considered devices. The idea behind a vircator is to accelerate a powerful flow of electrons through a mesh anode. A significant number of electrons will pass through the anode, forming a space charge cloud behind the anode. Under certain conditions, this space charge region will oscillate at microwave frequencies. If this area is placed in a resonant cavity that is suitably tuned, very high peak power can be achieved. Conventional microwave technologies can be used to remove energy from the resonant cavity. Power levels achieved in vircator experiments range from 170 kW to 40 gW and in the decimeter to centimeter wavelength range.

New electromagnetic weapons can cause damage to electronic components even if the enemy's equipment is turned off, unlike electronic jamming equipment that is in service today. The electromagnetic wave of high frequency and gigantic power generated as a result of the explosion, while non-lethal, nevertheless “turns off” a person’s consciousness for a few seconds.

Electromagnetic weapons: where the Russian army is ahead of its competitors

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Already entering service with the Russian army

To understand what place the topic of electronic warfare occupies in the military-technical strategy of the Russian military department, just look at the State Armaments Program until 2020. From 21 trillion. rubles of the general budget of the State Program, 3.2 trillion. (about 15%) is planned to be used for the development and production of attack and defense systems using sources of electromagnetic radiation. For comparison, in the Pentagon budget, according to experts, this share is much smaller - up to 10%.

Now let's look at what can already be “touched”, i.e. those products that have reached series production and entered service over the past few years.

Concern "Constellation" produces a series of small-sized (portable, transportable, autonomous) interference transmitters of the series RP-377. They can be used to jam signals GPS, and in the autonomous version, equipped with power supplies, also by placing transmitters in a certain area, limited only by the number of transmitters.

Educational program

Low-frequency EMF creates electromagnetic pulse radiation at frequencies below 1 MHz, high-frequency EMF is affected by microwave radiation - both pulsed and continuous. Low-frequency EMF affects the object through interference to the wired infrastructure, including telephone lines, external power cables, information supply and removal. High-frequency EMF directly penetrates into the radio-electronic equipment of an object through its antenna system.

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