ELECTROMAGNETIC BOMB A WEAPON FOR THE

BATTLEFIELD OF THE FUTURE

Abstract: Electromagnetic bombs became devices technical feasible due to research results in
High Power Microwave technology and High Power Electromagnetic Pulse allowing
development of both weapons and protective measures at strategic and tactical level.
The development of e-bomb devices allow their use in non-nuclear and even non-lethal
confrontations.
This paper present aspects related to technology base, weapon employment and protective
measures to be enforced against electromagnetic bombs attacks.
Keywords: electromagnetic, weapon, bomb, military

1. INTRODUCTION
The history of military conflicts is full of examples when the use of high technology
weapons made the difference on the battlefield: 1232, Kai-Keng battle when Chinese
achieved victory over Mongol using some rudimentary rockets called arrows of flying
fire, 1914, the use of automatic weapon by German army gave them an important
advantage over conventional armies across Europe, 1991, the use of precision-guided
bomb and stealth fighters forced the numerous Iraqi army to knee. All these examples
have in common the use of high-technology kinetic weapons to achieve the victory on the
battlefield (Ertekin, 2008).
Nowadays, in a television - war era, a perfect weapon will shut down
telecommunications networks, fry adversary computer networks and unshielded
electronic equipments but will leave intact bridges, buildings, highways and human
beings won`t be affected.
A kind of weapon which fulfills these requirements, the electromagnetic bomb is, at
this time, under engineer investigations, some testing models components being produced
for research purposes.
2. TECHNOLOGY BASE
The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a term used for any nuclear or conventional
device able to generate a very intense but short electromagnetic field transient which, in
weapons applications, must be intense enough to generate electromagnetic power
densities which are lethal for electronic and electrical equipment (Kopp, 1996).
EMP was observed during early testing of nuclear weapons high altitude burst when
for hundreds of nanoseconds an intense electromagnetic pulse was generated and
propagated away from source along with decreasing of intensity, we can say a veritable
electromagnetic shock wave.
A tragic event happened in 1967 on aircraft carrier USS Forestal when cruising off the
coast of North Vietnam having some A-4 Skyhawk jets on the deck fuelled and combat
loaded with 1000 pound bombs, air to ground (AGM) and air to air (ATA) missiles.
Investigations of the incident related that one missile with a cable incorrect shielded
was illuminated by a shipboard radar and radio frequency voltages were developed in
cable resulting in missile firing across the deck and striking another aircraft resulting in
$72 million of damage and 134 men lost or missing (Ertekin, 2008).

The EMP produces a powerful electromagnetic field, in vicinity of weapon burst,

strong enough to deliver short lived transient voltages (kiloVolts) on exposed electrical
conductors like wires or conductive tracks on exposed printed circuit boards. It can result
in irreversible damage to electrical and electronic equipment, especially computers, radio
and radar receivers, devices which are built up of high density Metal Oxide
Semiconductor (MOS) very sensitive to exposure of high voltage transients.
Military platforms consisting of electronic components, and not being properly
hardened, can suffer substantially reductions of their functions even become unusable due
to EMP exposure.
To explain characteristics of an electromagnetic bomb (e-bomb) we will considered it
as a High Power Microwave (HPM) weapon.
HPM is a term used by some scientific communities for studying generation of
coherent electromagnetic radiation spanning the frequency range of 1 GHz to over 100
GHz (Ertekin, 2008).
A HPM weapon system consists of a prime source that generates the intended power,
an RF generator, a system where the wave is formed and shaped, a waveguide through
which the wave travel, antenna that propagate the wave, and the control unit.

POWER
SUPPLY

RF
GENERATOR

FORMING
AND
SHAPING
WAVE

WAVEGUIDE ANTENNA

CONTROL
UNIT
FIG. 1. HPM weapon system

As a power source an e-bomb can use klystrons, magnetrons, gyrotrons, vircators,

ubitrons, klystronlike intense relativistic electron beam devices, magneto-hydrodynamic
generators (MHD) and flux compression generators (FCG).
For weapon systems domain have significance FCGs and vircators.
2.1 Explosively pumped FCG
Is the technology that best fit weapons (bombs) application.
FCG is a compact package device able to produce electrical energies in range of time
from ten to hundreds of microseconds with peak power levels reaching tens of
terraWATTS and may be used even directly or as one shot pulse power supply.
The main idea of FCG array is the use of a fast explosive to rapidly compress a
magnetic field transferring energy from the explosive into magnetic field.
The initial magnetic field in the FCG, prior to explosive initiation, is produced by a
start current supplied by an external source such as capacitor bank or a smaller FCG
(cascade) or MHD capable to deliver a pulse of tens of kilo to megaAmperes.
Coaxial design of FCG is of particular interest for bombs due to cylindrical form
being suitable to be packed into munitions (Kopp, 1996).

FIG. 2. Typical electromagnetic pulse shapes (Kopp, 1996)

A typical coaxial FCG consist of a cylinder copper tube (armature) filled with
explosive. The armature is surrounded
by a helical coil the stator.
A structural jacket made from
non-magnetic material will prevent
intense magnetic forces produced
during operation to disintegrate
prematurely the FCG.
The explosive is initiated when
the start current peaks and an uniform
plane wave burn front in the
explosive then, the front propagates
through the explosive in the armature,
distort the armature that will expand
up to the full diameter of stator when
a short circuit is produced between
the ends of stator coil isolating start
current and trapping current into
device resulting in a ramping current
pulse which will disintegrate the
device.
FIG. 3. Explosively pumped FCG (Kopp,
1996)

Ramp times were determined as tens to hundreds of microseconds, peak current tens
of mega Amperes and peak energies of tens of megaJoules. The current multiplications 60
times was demonstrated.
The paramount issues in weapon system are space and weight so the start current is
desirable a small FCG used to initiate a larger FCG (cascade).
2.2 The vircator
This device is able to overcome shortcomings of FCGs related to frequencies below 1
MHz and energy output.
The vircator is a mechanic simple and robust one shot device able to produce a very
powerful single pulse of radiation, its output power can be focused and has ability to
couple energy into a wide range of targets.

The functional principle of vircator consist of accelerating a high current electron

beam against a mesh anode with many electrons passing through anode forming a space
charged bubble oscillating at microwave frequencies behind it. Having the space charged
into a resonant cavity properly tuned very high peak power may be achieved, microwave
power can be extracted from the cavity using appropriate techniques.
In vircator can be achieved power levels from 170 kiloWatts to 40 gigaWatts at
frequencies range from centimetric and decimetric bands.

FIG. 4. Axial virtual cathode oscillator (Kopp, 1996)

The most common configurations for vircators are axial vircators (AV) and the
transverse vircators (TV). The AV has the simplest design - built into cylindrical
waveguide structure and produces the best power output which can be extracted by
transitioning the waveguide into a horn structure functioning as an antenna.
Issues posed by vircator design are related to output pulse duration a microsecond
limited by anode melting, stability of oscillation frequency, conversion efficiency and
total power output.
3. COUPLING MODES

In the open source literature there are described two coupling modes of power into
targets:
Front door coupling the power from an electromagnetic weapon is coupled in an
antenna of radars or comms equipments. Antenna assembly is designed to couple power
in and out of the equipment thus assuring a path for power flow from weapon to target
damaging it.
Back door coupling electromagnetic field from a weapon delivers large transient
currents or electrical standing waves on fixed electrical wiring and cables interconnecting
electrical or electronic devices causing damages to such equipments even by penetrating
equipment by transient currents.
Some typical semiconductor devices are protected with a protection circuit able to
sink electrostatic discharges but sustained or repeated application of a high voltage will
defeat the protection.
HPM weapons operating in the centimetric and milimetric bands offer an additional
coupling mechanism directly coupling into equipment via ventilation holes, gaps
between panels and poorly shielded interfaces the microwave radiation forming a
spatial wave within the equipment which will damage exposed components.
4.

E-BOMB LETHALITY

Lethality of an electromagnetic weapon is complex.

The calculation of electromagnetic field strength achievable at a given radius related

to a given device design is a simple task meanwhile determining a kill probability for a
given class of target under such conditions is not due to two major aspects to be
considered: diversity of targets electromagnetic hardness (ability to resist damage) and
coupling efficiency a measure of how much power is transferred from the field
produced by the weapon into target.
HPM weapons coupling is better than low frequency weapon bypassing easier
equipments protections so they are more lethal.
A general approach in determining lethality of electromagnetic weapons is to
determine lethal voltage level and use this to generate an electromagnetic field with such
a strength able to produce the level of lethal current,
lethal radius of a weapon corresponding to field
strength. A short example: 10GW 5GHz HPM
weapon illuminates a 400 to 500 m diameter
footprint from hundred meters distance resulting in
a field strength of several KV per meter or on
exposed electronic and electrical devices
components. The example suggest that lethal radius
of e-bomb is hundred of meters.
FIG. 5. E-bomb lethal radius (Kopp, 1996)

In order to maximize the lethality of an e-bomb it is necessary to maximize the power

coupled into the target set.
There are some measure that can be implemented to maximize the lethality of an
electromagnetic weapon:
maximizing the peak power and duration of the radiation of a weapon use of most
powerful sources (FCGs, vircators) and maximizing the efficiency of internal power
transfers in the weapon. Not emitted energy is wasted energy;
maximizing coupling efficiency into target exploit every coupling opportunity available
within the bandwidth of the weapon;
low frequency bomb with FCG use of large antenna to improve the weapon coupling,
technically possible by delivering weapon at programmed altitude to deploy some linear
antennas consisting of hundreds meters of cable or guide the bomb very close to target
and rely on loop antenna effect produced by FCG field;
detonation altitude varying detonation altitude we can improve intensity of
electromagnetic field detrimental to lethal footprint size.

(a)
(b)
FIG. 6. Lethal footprint in relation to altitude (a) low frequency e-bomb (b) HPM e-bomb (Kopp,
1996)

5. E-BOMB EMPLOYMENT
Identifying valid targets to be engaged with e-bombs is a complex task. Some targets
are easy to be identified and engaged: government offices, production facilities, military
base, radar and commo equipments sites, e.g. are examples of targets geographically fixed
and can be engaged by means of aviation at GPS precision, weapons can be programmed
to detonate at optimal position in order to obtain maximum of electrical damage.
Mobile or camouflaged platforms like air defense equipment, mobile commo nodes,
naval vessels, wheeled or trucked vehicles are targets that can be located by means of
Electronic Support Measures (ESM) or Emitter Locating System (ELS), data linked to
launch platform and due to their inability to escape from lethal footprint they can be
efficiently engaged.
Difficulties are encountered in locating and engaging mobile targets and platforms
that do not overtly radiate, they can be located just by interpreting features of their
unintentional emissions (UE) or emanations from equipment poor shielded.
UE occurs at low power levels Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or other aerial platform are
required to overfly adversary territory to gather useful intelligence.
With GPS guidance, even without differential improvement, guided e-bomb are
precise enough due to their features.
The best solution for e-bomb launching are glide-bombs offering advantages of
releasing outside target air defense range minimizing the risk for the launching platform.
E-bombs can be used in a wide range of operations like electronic combat
operations, strategic air attack operations, maritime air operations, offensive counter air
operations, battlefield air interdictions operations, defensive counter-air operations and air
defense operations.
6. DEFENSE AGAINST E-BOMB
The best way to provide protection against e-bomb is to prevent their delivery by
destroying the launch platform or delivery vehicle (the case of nuclear weapons). This
option is not always available so systems could be exposed to electromagnetic bomb
attack effects they must be properly electromagnetic hardened.
The most efficient method is to place the equipment to be protected in an electrically
conductive container called Faraday cage in order to prevent electromagnetic field to
access and affect the protected equipment. This solutions have its own vulnerabilities the
equipment can still communicate with outside space, so can be electromagnetically
affected, via supply conductors. This vulnerability can be addressed by using optical fiber
for transferring data in and out equipment enclosure.
In the most situations in the entering points of conductors the enclosure have
arresting devices in these cases a challenge consists of determining their parameters to be
sure that they will successfully deal with rise time and strength of electrical transients
produced by electromagnetic devices, for example reports indicate that protective
measures intended to protect against nuclear EMP bombs are not effective against some
conventional microwave electromagnetic device designs.
Hardening of system should be performed at system level even one single
vulnerable component could inhibit or bring down the whole system.
In terms of financial costs we can say that hardening of new equipments will rise the
production cost of equipment meanwhile older equipments are impossible to be hardened
and must be replaced hardening must be a design task.

Electrical damage to targets could consist of intermittent failures due to wounded

semiconductors, failures that will lead to considerable maintenance efforts and
diminishing of operators confidence in affected equipment and finally equipment will be
permanently removed from service.
Another protective measure is passive in nature, equipment concealing or ability to
not radiate detectable emissions.
Commo nets should adopt topologies with enough redundancy and failover
mechanisms to allow operation in case of node or link inoperative thus preventing option
of disabling large sections or whole net by taking down a single node or link at a single
attack or repetitive low intensity electromagnetic attacks.
7. CONCLUSIONS
Electromagnetic bombs are weapons that can be used against a wide range of targets
from strategic to tactical level their use offers a high payoff in attacking fundamental
information processing and commo facilities of target system.
E-bombs are force multipliers causing hard electrical damages over large areas than
conventional explosive bombs offering substantial economies in force size.
They are non-lethal weapons being less politically damaging than conventional
munitions broadening the range of military options available.
The article bring in discussion some technical, operational and employing aspects of
using e-bombs lacking a historical use in conflicts is difficult to propose a doctrinal
model, technological evolution of this weapon will clarify the relationship weapons size
lethality and produce further applications and study areas.
Military forces should consider both offensive and defensive potential of this
weapon, also government and industry should assess both proliferation of this technology
and protective measure to be taken to protect their tactical and civilian infrastructure.
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