I'm reading about this remarkable defensive weapon the day after Putin plunged all of Kyiv into darkness, and wonder how long it will take for Ukraine to have these microwave guys into place around major cities.
I'm glad you at least took some of the boys-with-toys glee out of the room by mentioning counter-measures. My first thought was: if Russia doesn't have this technology already (MASERs were the latest frontier back in the 1950s, and isn't it obvious that Havana Syndrome is caused by microwaves, probably triangulated?), then they can just buy a few of these MWs from China, who certainly IS working on those “layered spectrum effects, waveform agility, and kinetic-electromagnetic tactics” like it's the cure for cancer (except it's probably a cause of cancer). Since it's Ukraine who currently has the upper hand in the drone race, then anything that can defeat quadcopters wholesale is a serious problem for the good guys.
My second thought was: “Oh, that's why Russians have started to attack on bicycles!”
Thirdly: Chain mail will have its day again as a portable Faraday cage!
Fourth, a counter-counter-measure: there must be some conical metal dish that can just bounce microwaves back to the enemy, amirite? Then my thermopyles started acting up, ran out of ideas.
Likewise. Then I remind myself that every exciting consequence of a new technology also reveals dreadful consequences, neutral consequences, and unintended consequences.
Governments spend billions developing weapons and delivery systems…and then spend further billions to find ways to destroy the new toys of other arsenals. Follow the money…
Well well. The battle field of yesterday is not the one of today and much less the one of tomorrow. Incredible how fast it is evolving. Most of those hyper costly weapons may meet their cheap match sooner than foreseen.
Unlike the Iron Beam by the IDF, the atmospheric conditions are different. Does especially fine sand disperse the signal? If so, can it be narrowed from, say, 500 meters to 50 meters to power through?
Fiber optic drones with the motor enclosed within a conductive shroud with a drive shaft connecting to the propeller. Seems like that would be an easy enough solution
The cost of hardening drones to EW systems is much lower than the cost of developing EW system hardened against drones. This has been a hard lesson in Ukraine.
I'm reading about this remarkable defensive weapon the day after Putin plunged all of Kyiv into darkness, and wonder how long it will take for Ukraine to have these microwave guys into place around major cities.
I'm glad you at least took some of the boys-with-toys glee out of the room by mentioning counter-measures. My first thought was: if Russia doesn't have this technology already (MASERs were the latest frontier back in the 1950s, and isn't it obvious that Havana Syndrome is caused by microwaves, probably triangulated?), then they can just buy a few of these MWs from China, who certainly IS working on those “layered spectrum effects, waveform agility, and kinetic-electromagnetic tactics” like it's the cure for cancer (except it's probably a cause of cancer). Since it's Ukraine who currently has the upper hand in the drone race, then anything that can defeat quadcopters wholesale is a serious problem for the good guys.
My second thought was: “Oh, that's why Russians have started to attack on bicycles!”
Thirdly: Chain mail will have its day again as a portable Faraday cage!
Fourth, a counter-counter-measure: there must be some conical metal dish that can just bounce microwaves back to the enemy, amirite? Then my thermopyles started acting up, ran out of ideas.
Regarding the glee: I tend to get over-excited about new technology, especially when I write while over-caffeinated. Thanks for reading, Roger.
Likewise. Then I remind myself that every exciting consequence of a new technology also reveals dreadful consequences, neutral consequences, and unintended consequences.
Great article and video, as always.
Governments spend billions developing weapons and delivery systems…and then spend further billions to find ways to destroy the new toys of other arsenals. Follow the money…
Sounds like Russia used this weapon on Americans in Cuba and elsewhere. Frying their head.
Well well. The battle field of yesterday is not the one of today and much less the one of tomorrow. Incredible how fast it is evolving. Most of those hyper costly weapons may meet their cheap match sooner than foreseen.
The real world equivalent of Beastie Boy's "Sabotage".
Good education!
Unlike the Iron Beam by the IDF, the atmospheric conditions are different. Does especially fine sand disperse the signal? If so, can it be narrowed from, say, 500 meters to 50 meters to power through?
Fiber optic drones with the motor enclosed within a conductive shroud with a drive shaft connecting to the propeller. Seems like that would be an easy enough solution
Would be interesting to see the effectiveness of this EW system implemented against fiber optic drones wrapped in aluminum foil
The cost of hardening drones to EW systems is much lower than the cost of developing EW system hardened against drones. This has been a hard lesson in Ukraine.
Whatever one side can do, so can the other. Or they simply escalate. Think Oresnik.
It sounds like an interesting technology for anti-drone warfare
My questions would be how much do they cost and how portable are they due to their high voltage requirement?
Thanks for the article