Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

I'm just floating this out here for more experienced eyes to read, but rather than using an ARM that destroys a SAM's radar physically, why not integrate a localized EMP missile that not only knocks out the SAM's acquisition radar, but also fries the guidance systems of the missiles themselves, thus preventing the battery operator from simply firing the missiles in self-guide mode.

This would also prevent the SAM operator from simply launching his missiles in TV or IR mode to prevent eating a HARM for lunch.

I do realize there are some technical and practical hurdles that need to be adressed, but what do yall think of that idea?

Crack pipe, or good idea?

F-16.net Sponsor

Elite 1K Joined: May 26, 2005 - 08:39 PM Posts: 1496

I think on a weight per amount of damage basis a blast/fragmentation warhead is just more effective.

Los Alamos has done some crazy stuff with explosively pumped flux compression generators, apparently they were getting up to 20% of the explosive energy converted into an electrical pulse. But the smallest of those was on the order of 1 meter in diameter and weighed close to 500 pounds.

Guysmiley wrote:

I think on a weight per amount of damage basis a blast/fragmentation warhead is just more effective.

Los Alamos has done some crazy stuff with explosively pumped flux compression generators, apparently they were getting up to 20% of the explosive energy converted into an electrical pulse. But the smallest of those was on the order of 1 meter in diameter and weighed close to 500 pounds.

Gotcha, I was ignorant of the state of technology where that's concerned.

Perhaps have one aircraft drop an EMP/ARM and have the others in the flight follow up with HARMs? Cool

Elite 1K Joined: May 26, 2005 - 08:39 PM Posts: 1496

You never can predict what the likes of DARPA will cook up, but I think the size of even the smallest designs (1+ meter diameter, 2 meters in length) makes it pretty unwieldly as a warhead. A HARM's warhead is what, 10 inches in diameter and about 18-24 inches long? But who knows (certainly not me!)

Good idea!

Countries in the middle east will put their air defense assets near homes, on school playgrounds, on top of mosques and the like. Their placement will try to maximize not only collateral damage if those SAM sites are attacked, but also make it easy to publicize via the anti-American al jazeera news agency. Even if we bomb something with a SDB and there is absolutely no collateral damage, the terrorist/insurgent whack jobs are known for just taking people, shooting them in the head and throwing them into the rubble and flames. If we could just nail a site with an EMP (assuming the missile is set to explode in the air) there wouldn't be an explosion on the ground virtually eliminating the risk of collateral damage and making it harder for the bad guys to fabricate it.

discofishing wrote:

Good idea!

Countries in the middle east will put their air defense assets near homes, on school playgrounds, on top of mosques and the like. Their placement will try to maximize not only collateral damage if those SAM sites are attacked, but also make it easy to publicize via the anti-American al jazeera news agency. Even if we bomb something with a SDB and there is absolutely no collateral damage, the terrorist/insurgent whack jobs are known for just taking people, shooting them in the head and throwing them into the rubble and flames. If we could just nail a site with an EMP (assuming the missile is set to explode in the air) there wouldn't be an explosion on the ground virtually eliminating the risk of collateral damage and making it harder for the bad guys to fabricate it.

yeah, but you probably couldn't use an EMP if there was a hospital nearby.. shut down all the life-support equipment and create a big stink.. now DEWs would offer the benefits of high precision and limited collateral damage, at least against soft targets.

Quote:

yeah, but you probably couldn't use an EMP if there was a hospital nearby.. shut down all the life-support equipment and create a big stink.. now DEWs would offer the benefits of high precision and limited collateral damage, at least against soft targets.

Yeah, true. That's something those ba$tards would probably figure out. I hope DEWs are a reality for the JSF some day. As long as AD systems don't start becoming armored I think DEWs is the best bet. Then again, you can't armor your radar array and missiles, so DEWs can render a SAM site useless anyways. It may not be able to destroy a ZSU-23 or 2S6 completely, but it can destroy the stuff hanging off of it that tracks aircraft.

Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

EMP-based ARM system.