Today it does not cause as much discussion as electromagnetic weapons. There are even two camps in the world, which by this term mean different objects. Representatives of the first are confident that electromagnetic weapons have enormous development potential and power, possibly exceeding the power of nuclear weapons. Representatives of the second say that electromagnetic weapons should not be made into a Hollywood fable - the weapon is undoubtedly promising, but is not capable of cutting off power to an entire city and paralyzing the energy system military base.

Academician Fortov places himself in the first camp and claims that full-fledged electromagnetic weapons already exist. In his opinion, the future lies with electromagnetic weapons, because they are capable of disabling electronics at a great distance from the point of radiation. The RAS academician himself is inclined to classify electromagnetic weapons as strategic weapons, since they are capable of exerting an active influence during a serious operation. Vladimir Fortov sees the direction of development of electromagnetic weapons in two main directions. The first direction is related to microelectronics. Modern man cannot imagine its existence without mobile devices. Army modernization also involves equipping troops with state-of-the-art microelectronic sensors, guidance systems and tracking equipment. One can imagine what would happen if, with the help of a preventive electromagnetic pulse, the missile guidance system of a modern bomber was disabled or its global positioning system was disabled.

The second direction, according to Vladimir Fortov, is the development of large capacities contained in a very limited volume. None of the filters existing today is capable of blocking a powerful impulse, a billion-watt magnitude, which will be able to pose an almost impossible task for modern energy.

The words of the academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences can be taken as fiction and associated with an overly active fantasy, however, as an example, the situation that arose in the world shortly before the appearance of nuclear weapons. At that time, there were many people in the world who laughed at the fact of the possible existence of a nuclear bomb that would destroy all life within a radius of several kilometers around. However, Hiroshima became eloquent proof of the destructive power of the “non-peaceful” atom.

Proponents of more cautious views on electromagnetic weapons say that their only real power lies in imparting initial speed to a combat projectile using a magnetic field. In this case, electromagnetic weapons become an alternative to the principles of firearms. One example of this type of weapon is the so-called Gauss gun. This gun is a system consisting of a number of inductance coils attached to a rectangular base; from a power source capable of delivering short-term powerful pulses, as well as from a coil switching unit in sequential mode. Batteries charge capacitors to a certain potential difference. The shot itself is a discharge of capacitors onto the coil turns. The principle of operation of a Gauss gun is based on the retraction of the core into the internal volume of the coil when direct current passes through the winding. To enhance the “destructive” force of the Gauss gun, a magnetic circuit is mounted on top of the coil. To prevent the increase in current in the coil from slowing down, its winding must be made of a wire of a sufficiently large cross-section. The destructive effect of this type of electromagnetic weapon depends on the selected electrical capacity of the capacitor system. Of course, the power of such weapons is not yet considered as a competitive power of nuclear weapons.

But time goes by. Already today there are experimental developments that indicate that with a high level of insulation, electromagnetic weapons are capable of delivering a very noticeable blow to enemy forces. It must be said that the dimensions of such weapons are more than impressive. In this case, the main question remains the question of the option for the most effective use of electromagnetic weapons. The power of systems of this type available today (“Silent Guardian” and the domestic “Satchel”) does not exceed one gigawatt, but they allow the creation of radiation with a narrow focus. The first development option is directly related to narrowly targeted electromagnetic study, when the flow of electrons has a monofrequency that ensures hitting the target. The second is associated with direct conversion sources, which can have much smaller dimensions and emit pulses with higher energy.

It would seem that the advantages of the second option are obvious, but scientists are in no hurry to move on to work on creating electromagnetic weapons based on direct conversion. This is due to the fact that such weapons are capable of causing electrical breakdown in the propagation environment. It turns out that for now this path leads to a dead end, since the result will not be a powerful electromagnetic weapon capable of hitting targets, but a device that causes a glow in the air - a kind of fireworks for a lot of money.

Despite the fact that representatives of the two camps of scientists tend to see electromagnetic weapons as seemingly different objects, there is an actual overlap of views. This intersection lies in the weapons of the type described today, as well as in the options for their use.

There are several evidences of the use of electromagnetic weapons in the world. One of the loudest is the air attack by American troops on a television center in Baghdad. The United States Air Force used a special guided bomb weighing 2.5 tons, equipped with a vircator (a group of microwave devices with a large volumetric charge). After its use, Iraqi television could not broadcast for about an hour. Another evidence is the showering of Iraqi air defenses with Tomahawk missiles with the same vircators. In this case, it was not possible to assess the true role of electromagnetic weapons, since at the same time other (classical) types of missiles were also operating against the same air defense targets. This evidence is not isolated, but, as can be seen, in terms of attempts to use EMP, only the United States appears so far.

The use of electromagnetic weapons for suppression is also promising active protection modern tanks. One directed impulse - and a modern car turns into an unprotected metal toy that can be destroyed by conventional means. At the same time, the tank, like any other modern military vehicle, not only becomes vulnerable, but also a short time loses the ability to respond blow to blow. In this regard, the development of electromagnetic weapons can be considered among the priority tasks for modern military scientists. If such technology becomes fully operational in any one country, it will shake the balance of military power on the planet. It is difficult to imagine what could happen if the technology for creating powerful electromagnetic weapons falls into the hands of representatives of terrorist networks.

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Russia, as recognized by the US and NATO military, today is far ahead of all other armies in the world in terms of the quality of weapons.

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

Pulse electromagnetic weapons, or so-called. “jammers” is a real type of weapon already undergoing testing Russian army. 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. Except to surrender and give it to the advancing units of the Russian army heavy weapons 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 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 airborne objects (targets), specialists from these institutions unexpectedly received local plasma formations, which were obtained at the intersection of radiation fluxes 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 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. It is possible to interface the complex with various systems of the protected object, such as a navigation complex, a radar station, automated system combat control. The TK-25E equipment ensures the creation various types interference with a spectrum width from 64 to 2000 MHz, as well as pulsed misinforming and simulating 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 volley fire 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.

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.

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, in particular, are used to test means of protecting radio engineering and digital systems for military, special and civilian purposes from EMR lesions.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 airborne objects (targets), specialists from these institutions unexpectedly received local plasma formations, which were obtained at the intersection of radiation fluxes 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 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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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 magnetic energy source high level may 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

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 communications were lost for a long time over a wide area Pacific Ocean. Therefore, an electromagnetic pulse is one of the damaging factors of 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, deliver it “at the right time, in 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 Navy command, having seen “ 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 photic obscenity. 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.

We have (and Soviet Union occupied leading positions 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 of the EMR damaging factor acting on the equipment. 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.

The capabilities of domestic mobile systems 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.

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.

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 incapable of fighting 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.

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. 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 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 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 the HAARP (High Freguencu Active Auroral Research Program) complex in Alaska.

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 to the traditionally strong position in the field of fundamental research, the state’s interest in weapons based on new physical principles has been added. Programs on it are now a priority.

Only Russia is armed with electromagnetic ammunition September 29th, 2017

Enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex have created a powerful electromagnetic missile "Alabuga", which has a warhead with a high-power electromagnetic field generator. It was reported that it was capable of covering an area of ​​3.5 kilometers with one blow and disabling all electronics, turning them into a “heap of scrap metal.”

Mikheev explained that “Alabuga” is not a specific weapon: an entire complex was completed under this code in 2011-2012 scientific research, during which the main directions for the development of electronic weapons of the future were determined.

“A very serious theoretical assessment and practical work was carried out on laboratory mock-ups and specialized testing grounds, during which the range of radio-electronic weapons and the degree of their impact on equipment was determined,” Mikheev said.

This impact can vary in intensity: “Starting with the usual interference effect with the temporary withdrawal of weapon systems and military equipment the enemy is out of action up to its complete radio-electronic destruction, leading to energetic, destructive damage to the main electronic elements, boards, blocks and systems."

After the completion of this work, all data on its results were closed, and the topic of microwave weapons itself fell into the category of critical technologies with the highest classification of secrecy, Mikheev emphasized.
“Today we can only say that all these developments have been translated into specific development work on the creation of electromagnetic weapons: shells, bombs, missiles carrying a special explosive magnetic generator, in which, due to the energy of the explosion, a so-called microwave electromagnetic pulse is created , which disables all enemy equipment at a certain distance,” the interlocutor noted.

Similar developments are being carried out by all leading world powers - in particular, the USA and China, the KRET representative concluded.

Russia today is the only country in the world that is armed with ammunition equipped with electromagnetic generators, said Chief Editor magazine "Arsenal of the Fatherland", member of the expert council of the military industrial complex board Viktor Murakhovsky.
This is how he commented on the words of Vladimir Mikheev, adviser to the first deputy general director of the Radioelectronic Technologies concern, who stated that Russia is creating electronic munitions capable of disabling enemy equipment due to a powerful microwave pulse.

“We have such standard ammunition - for example, such generators are in the warheads of anti-aircraft missiles; there are also rounds for hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers equipped with such generators. In this area, we are at the forefront in the world, similar ammunition, as far as I know, is still there are no supplies for foreign armies. In the USA and China, such equipment is now only at the testing stage,” RIA Novosti quotes V. Murakhovsky.

The expert noted that today the Russian defense industry is working to increase the effectiveness of such ammunition, as well as to strengthen the electromagnetic pulse through new materials and new design designs. At the same time, Murakhovsky emphasized that calling such weapons “electromagnetic bombs” is not entirely correct, since today the Russian army only has anti-aircraft missiles and grenade launchers equipped with such generators.

Speaking about radio-electronic weapons of the future, being developed today in Russia, the interlocutor cited the example of the “Microwave guns” project, which is currently at the research stage.

“At the research stage, there is a new product on a tracked chassis that generates radiation that can disable a drone at a great distance. This is exactly what is now colloquially called a “microwave gun,” said Murakhovsky.

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 of the domestic “Ranets-E” complex was presented there. 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.

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 removes the main communication headsets from normal operation, blinding and stunning the enemy, but also actually leaves an entire unit without any local electronic control systems, 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 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.

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 accompany 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.

Reference:
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 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.

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.

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