US May Debut Secret Microwave 'Pulse' Weapon Versus Iraq

Reuters News Wire ^ | Feb. 2, 2003 | Will Dunham

[ewing]

It substitues pure energy for munitions. It is designed to achieve military objectives without killing things or wrecking buildings.

And Saddam Husseins armed forces may be chosen as the first target of the US Military's new secret weapon.

The US Air Force is developing high power microwave, or HPM, weapon that generates a massive electromagnetic pulse capable of frying the inside of digital electronic systems, disabling enemy military equipment, analysts said.

While the weapon is top secret and details about it are classified, analyists say development is far enough along that they expect the military to use an HPM weapon for the first time in a possible war against Iraq.

[ewing]

How many computers can there be in Baghdad anyway?

[ewing]

ping

[The Raven]

Liberals won't like this

[VadeRetro]

Might be the answer to the GPS-jammers that the Iraqis bought from the Russians to confuse the JDAMs.

[AngrySpud]

Will this affect "innocent" Iraqis wearing pacemakers or other medical hardware?

[coloradan]

That GPS jammer is a hoax - it doesn't work. But, if you can sell them to Iraqis for thousands of dollars, I guess they work just fine!!

[coloradan]

Yes it will. So hospitals better stay away from military targets, and vice versa.

[elhombrelibre]

There are probably many. The military for sure would have computers. The country is wealthy, it's wealth just doesn't go to the people. It goes to Saddam's self-aggrandizement.

[Paleo Conservative]

Will this affect "innocent" Iraqis wearing pacemakers or other medical hardware?

Innocent Iraqis don't get pacemakers implanted only the privileged toadies of Saddam Hussein might.

[WhirlwindAttack]

A back to the stone age bump

[expatpat]

This makes me nervous. The fact is: the US Armed Forces are more dependent on electronics than any other country, and this is the last weapon we ought to want to see being used. All of these weapons become available to others after a while.

[ewing]

It will get Iraqi Generals wearing pacemakers..

[Prince Caspian]

Every measure has a potential counter-measure. By the time our enemies have it, we will have perfected the counter-measure. The game isn't "who has the best gadgets." It is "who has the will and the wealth to continue to run the race of scientific R&D the fastest and the longest."

[Archangelsk]

That GPS jammer is a hoax - it doesn't work.

Unless, of course, you happen to know a thing or two about GPS. This might help, you can also check the FAA web site (look in the ATC issues section).

[coloradan]

I'm not saying that jamming GPS is impossible, merely that the specific device that made headlines a some weeks ago was later exposed as a fraud. (But not before having been sold to Iraq for mucho dinero.)

[BigBobber]

"This weapon should be outlawed because it will make war more acceptable."

(Lib argument against the neutron bomb.)

[coloradan]

Incidentally, active jammers make great homing beacons.

[TheTopRead]

'Scuse me but you must be talkin' about ICE-9. Didn't you see "The Recruit" yet?!

Geez, get with the program . . . Top

[rwfromkansas]

Exactly. No doubt Saddam largely runs his govt. by computer just like we do.

[irish guard]

this might affect Achmed's wife's vibrator!!! Can you imagine the panic at NOW of Iraq, if women can't use their vibrators???

This is a lefties nightmare!!!