E-Bomb: The Electronic Weapon That Can Make a Plane “Disappear”

SHTF Plan ^ | 3/11/14 | Mac Slavo

[Kartographer]

Weapons designers specializing in high-energy physics can now create electromagnetic pulses without going into outer space. One approach involves harnessing the force of a conventional explosion. Others are simply just modifications of radar, which bounces pulses of energy off aircraft in flight, vehicles on the ground, and other objects.

Crank up the power and you have an EMP weapon, ready to point at the computers of your favorite enemy.This knowledge has set off a new arms race. Whether fitted into cruise missiles or parked at the side of the road in a van, non-nuclear EMP weapons have the potential to devastate the electronic systems of areas as large as a city or as small as a selected building, all without being seen, heard, or felt by a single soul.

It is a dream come true for any and all terrorists.

Sound far-fetched? It did not in 1993 to the owners of automobiles parked about 300 meters from a U.S. Defense Contractor’s EMP generator test site at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Their alternators and electronic engine controls were accidentally fried by a pulse during classified field trials.

Source: Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin

[Kartographer]

‘How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?’

So multiple cars parked near the test site of a EMP weapon electrical systems all failed at the sametime and the EMP weapon had nothing to do with it?

[11th_VA]

They have plans how to make one of these on the internet - hardest part to find is the REALLY BIG capacitor you need ...

[chrisser]

If the alternator for a `68 Ford is unaffected by EMP, why should the alternator from say a `93 Pontiac have problems? It's a coil, a magnet and a voltage regulator.

I don't know for certain, but I believe most modern alternators are controlled by a pulse width modulated signal from the engine computer. I would assume there's a module on the alternator that has to decode the signal and convert it to actual voltage changes in the unit itself. Perhaps that module is where the vulnerability lies.

[fso301]

Are you a welder?

I've struck a few arcs. Next time you are near a muffler or body shop, stop in, tell them you are researching EMP and ask if a welder properly grounded to the vehicle is likely to damage it?

[zipper]

The cage is built to keep EMP out, but what if the EMP originates from inside the cage?

Then I suppose everyone inside would be fried, but those outside the cage (outside of the airplane) would be fine. That is, if they were far enough away to avoid the explosion that produced the EMP!

[fso301]

I don't know for certain, but I believe most modern alternators are controlled by a pulse width modulated signal from the engine computer. I would assume there's a module on the alternator that has to decode the signal and convert it to actual voltage changes in the unit itself. Perhaps that module is where the vulnerability lies.

Isn't anything near an alternator in a harsh electrical environment?

[Kartographer]

And the fly by wire components on the inside of the plane would be?

[Hugin]

ready to point at the computers of your favorite enemy.

[pallis]

You would have to have the old time mechanical injectors, otherwise your fuel system would quit working.

[Orangedog]

Or maybe...just maybe Malaysia f***ing Airlines didn’t properly maintain an incredibly complex aircraft and it failed the way incredibly complex systems do when neglected.

[Bratch]

They have plans how to make one of these on the internet - hardest part to find is the REALLY BIG capacitor you need ...

[old curmudgeon]

Before I retired, I was involved in lines of heavy manufacturing machinery, all with their own computers and all connected with conveyors. A main computer was linked to the computers on each machine and kept track of what they were doing.

Early in the development of these systems, before we learned better, we had a local welder make a change on one of the conveyors, which also was controlled by one of the computers.

We zapped the main computer.

I drive a Ford F350 and regularly pull a horse trailer.

Every time I need welding on the trailer, the welders completely disconnect the trailer from the truck and I mean completely; wiring, hitch, all of it.

Welding anything connected to a computer is not wise.

[Cvengr]

So do you shunt or open the spare module for your engine, so the spare doesn’t get fried at the same time?

[Kartographer]

Also possible, but I lean toward Post #26 this thread. Malaysia may heve been forced to shoot down the plane.

[vigilante2]

I don’t need to. A smart welder will disconnect the battery!

[LonePalm]

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[fso301]

Early in the development of these systems, before we learned better, we had a local welder make a change on one of the conveyors, which also was controlled by one of the computers. We zapped the main computer.

Similar stories abound.

I drive a Ford F350 and regularly pull a horse trailer.

Every time I need welding on the trailer, the welders completely disconnect the trailer from the truck and I mean completely; wiring, hitch, all of it.

Nothing wrong with that for your own vehicle. I'd do the same. However, I think you will find that car repair guys generally make sure they have a good ground close to where they strike the arc and let it go at that.

[fso301]

Stop by a muffler shop sometime and watch.

[kitchen]

Some have suggested a defunct microwave oven as a good option for safe parts storage. I'd pull the old electrical components out and ground the case, but that's just me. (You might just find that there's a bad cap on the board and get it back up for a buck or two.)

As for vehicles, pre mid-'80s without computer controlled fuel injection. Spare loaded distributor, plugs, wires, coil, starter, alternator, and battery. Toss in a spool of wire and a box of connectors. Takes a lot of old microwaves to store all that stuff. :)