What is the Russian EMP and how it counters swarms

The August 4 2017 symbolizes a revolution in the drone development and the role that drones may take in the war around the globe . Two drones carrying plastic explosives participated the assassination attempt of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during his speech at an event celebrating the country’s national guard. The latest transformation of drone usage in the battlefield was demonstrated in the Ukraine confrontation with Russia. The Ukrainian battlespace features the most intensive use of drones in a military conflict in history, marking a shift in warfare tactics and technology. The war in Ukraine is not “the first drone war” however, never before so many drones have been used in a military confrontation. The Royal United Services Institute estimates that Ukraine is losing 10,000 drones per month, giving an indication of how many are in use. Drones usage is for surveillance, intelligence and strikes where surveillance and reconnaissance are the most natural uses of drones.

In recent years, the rise of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has posed unique challenges in the realm of defense and security. Swarming with a large number of low-cost autonomous systems can be useful for a wide range of applications in warfare, and most of the militaries should harness the advantages of this approach. But so will others. While swarming provides numerous opportunities to expand traditional combat effectiveness by enabling greater range, persistence, coordination, intelligence, and speed on the battlefield, it may be enemy swarms that are the real game-changer. Many of the innovations that enable swarming – low-cost uninhabited systems, autonomy, and networking – are driven by the commercial sector, and thus will be widely available. Moreover, many states and non-state groups may be more eager to embrace them than the common military, which is heavily invested in existing operational paradigms and the expensive and exquisite platforms they rely on. Swarms are more likely to be embraced by those who lack the institutional and cultural hurdles to their adoption that exist in traditional militaries.

During 2018 the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) mandated the establishment of a program to prototype and demonstrate Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) that will guarantee the military superiority of the US. The main motivation for the Directed Energy Weapons was impacted from the Carrington Event that was the most intense geomagnetic storm that recorded in the last history. During September 1859 a solar eruption occurred on the sun and major Electromagnet pulse made the 150-million-kilometre (93×106 mi) journey to earth and hit earth with the energy of 10 billion atomic bombs. The solar eruption cause all communication equipment to be shutdown.

The advance amplifiers technology (GaN - Gallium Nitride) that maximizes power density and enables extensive power without radicalization increasing size and weight makes the amplifiers a common element in HLS applications. The widespread of microprocessors usage and the knowledge that DEW can cause damage to electronic circuits, tethered the new amplifier technology as an effective tool within the HLS market especially in the law enforcement where vehicle control should be forced. Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) coupled into vehicles electronic circuits can interfere with the operation of the electronic control unit. The effect on the control unit force vehicle engine to stop or causes the engine poor performance that can halts the regular operation. Several solutions of manipulating engines can be found as Commercial Off-The-Shelf like HPEMcarStop, which is produced by a German company Diehl BGT Defense.

Diehl BGT Defense offers the HPEMcarStop as a solution that can stop the engine stationary or slow moving vehicles (e.g., vehicles used for bank robberies, drug-handovers, within the needs of detention) or to protect convoys (reduce the risk of attack from other vehicles - collision, shooting). The leap toward the UAV was inevitable.

During 2020 Major Jack McGonegal, USAF led the Research Task Force of Disruptive Technology of the Future and during 2018 the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) mandated the establishment of a program to prototype and demonstrate Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) that will guarantee the military superiority of the US. The program describes DEW as a technology that can "precisely engage targets of interest with little to no collateral damage or detectible disturbance.

There are two primary types of HPMs weapons in development: continuous- and pulsed wave HPMs. Continuous-wave HPMs deliver a constant stream of microwave energy in a wide area forces denial operations against personnel or small electronics, like unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Pulsed-wave HPM weapons engage a specific target set with the intent to destroy or degrade its electrical components. HPMs can operate within a wide range of frequencies that transmit to the target with the intent to "degrade or destroy" electrical components. Preliminary knowledge of the target frequency can reduce the energy needed to penetrate the target electronics to achieve the desired effect. This effect is called in-band or out-of-band. In-band is when the transmissions' frequency matches that of the receiver making coupling easy to achieve and destructive effects capable. Out-of-band is when these two do not match, meaning coupling will be harder to achieve, and not as much energy will reach the target.

In September 2001, Russian company named Rosoboronexport exhibited the “Ranets-E” that is a High Power Microwave (HPM) weapon system intended to produce electric lethal damage or disruption and dysfunction in opposing airborne systems. Although the system was first disclosed by Rosoboronexport in 2001, only a little technical detail has been disclosed since then. The “Ranets-E” is a mobile microwave RF platform that can rotate 360o and elevate from 0o-60o. It's main target is to destroy the electronic equipment inside the accurately guided weapons. The main purpose of the “Ranets-E” is to protects important military facilities from being attacked by the enemy’s accurately guided weapons. The “Ranets-E” consists of antenna subsystem, high power generator, detecting and controlling equipment as well as power source. It operates in centimeter band and the power output is over 500MW which transmits a pulse width of 10-20ns.

For example the reach of the mobile HPM weapon system Ranets-E is up to 40 km intensity of electric field of 1 kV/m while at a distance of 2 km it generates EM field with an intensity of 19 kV/m.

ELBIT's Starliner UAV was introduced during 2014 and it is certified to withstand a direct lighting strike including High-Intensity Radiated Field (HIRF). The Starliner is equipped with cupper net and Radom diverters coated all around the UAV skin to shield the UAV internal organs and the electronic equipment from strong electromagnetic radiation. During the HIRF tests the UAV must successfully withstand 2000 V/m radiation. The HIRF test analogous to successful withstand Ranets-E with a range of 30Km and highest transmission power.