La Fuerza A\u00e9rea de la Base A\u00e9rea Kirtland, N.M. est\u00e1n trabajando con expertos en microondas de compa\u00f1\u00edas como Raytheon y Booz Allen Hamilton, para realizar experimentos con tecnolog\u00eda electromagn\u00e9tica de alta potencia (HPEM). El trabajo ofrece el potencial para mejorar las capacidades de defensa antimisiles y de guerra electr\u00f3nica.\u00a0Las futuras capacidades potenciales de HPEM podr\u00edan incluir la interrupci\u00f3n de computadoras, aeronaves o redes el\u00e9ctricas.<\/p>\n
![\"EW\"](\"https:\/\/defensesystems.com\/articles\/2017\/10\/18\/~\/media\/GIG\/Defense%20Systems\/original.jpg\")
Air Force officials at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. are working with microwave experts from companies including Raytheon\u00a0and Booz Allen Hamilton to conduct experiments with high power electromagnetic (HPEM) technology.\u00a0The work offers the potential to enhance missile defense and electronic warfare capabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cAFRL will innovate the technology for future warfighter needs,\u201d said Erin Pettyjohn, Deputy Division Chief of the High Power Electromagnetics Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate.<\/p>\n
\u201cAFRL is pursuing the research, development, application and design of high power microwave systems for non-lethal, non-kinetic weapons.\u00a0 This will build upon our successes of MAXPOWER, a counter IED system demo, Active Denial System, a counter-personnel (non-lethal) demo system, CHAMP, an airborne counter electronics demo weapon, as well as future capabilities, such as counter-UAS.\u00a0 AFRL partners with a variety of industry companies for the production of HPM systems,\u201d said Ms. Pettyjohn.<\/p>\n
The experiments being conducted explore how features of HPEM\u2014such as carrier frequency, pulse repetition frequency, and incident power density\u2014can determine the ideal ratio for electronic warfare operations. This ideal ratio would maximize the amount of electromagnetic energy that makes it from the HPEM system to the enemy target, according to Raytheon.<\/p>\n
HPEM EW would change the future of military operations because \u201c[it] is designed to affect only electronics while also being safe to humans.\u00a0 It will provide a capability to enable low collateral damage, as it will not physically destroy infrastructure nor affect personnel health,\u201d shared Ms. Pettyjohn.<\/p>\n
Potential future HPEM capabilities could include disrupting computers, aircrafts, or electric grids.<\/p>\n
Some of the challenges that developers could run into with this project \u201cmay include the technical challenges to developing sources that will meet the specified mission sets, systems engineering and technical challenges for integrating sources into payloads, and systems engineering challenges for integrating those payloads into size-constrained systems,\u201d shared Ms. Pettyjohn.<\/p>\n
According to DOD, these experiments will include how HPEM can be used for cyber or EW applications, conduct, experiments, and demonstrate concepts.\u00a0Researchers at the Air Force are anticipating this HPEM technology will enhance field experiments such as Black Dart and Vigilant Hammer when integrated with existing cyber and electronic warfare systems.<\/p>\n
As for the future of EW in the Air Force, Ms. Pettyjohn said \u201cI anticipate that science and engineering specific jobs will continue to be needed to innovate, sustain, and operate high power microwave systems successfully for the military.\u00a0 In particular, physics, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering will continue to be sought after to support these technologies.<\/p>\n
This project is in support of High Power Electromagnetics Cyber Electronic Warfare Applications program.<\/p>\n
Work on this project is being conducted at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and is expected to be completed by August 2020.<\/p>\n