XIX Sympozjum Srodowiskowe PTZE - materialy.pdf

XIX Sympozjum PTZE, Worliny 2009
action against enemy infrastructure. The HPMs have been used also as a directed
electromagnetic energy systems. An example of an application is Vigilant Eagle, a groundbased
microwave system protecting aircraft from shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles.
The system radiates a tailored electromagnetic waveform to confuse missile targeting [1].
Above mentioned devices have been designed to destroy enemy radars, radios and computers.
There also exist systems which aim is to neutralize enemy soldiers. That is for example Mob
Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio (MEDUSA) which exploits the microwave audio effect,
in which short microwave pulses rapidly heat tissue, causing a shockwave inside the skull that
can be detected by the ears. The device is aimed for military or crowd-control applications
[3]. Another example of anti-crowd directed electromagnetic energy weapon is the Active
Denial System (ADS) which uses millimeter electromagnetic waves to produce heating of the
skin surface to painful levels that quickly reach the limits of pain tolerance, causing targeted
individuals or groups to retreat or take cover [1, 5].
Health risk of electromagnetic weapons
We do not have precise information of health risk of electromagnetic weapons, but we can
estimate electromagnetic field intensity in the proximity of the given weapon and via analogy
to known biological effects of similar exposition conditions predict this health risk. An
example is HPM bomb of a pulse power of 10 GW and frequency 5 GHz. This e-bomb will
result in pulsed field strengths of several kV/m within the diameter of 400 to 500 m. The
pulsed electric field intensity slightly exceeds permissive levels [6] but true RMS value is
expected to be at the level of several V/m. So we may expect the health risk of e-bomb similar
to that of short time exposition in the very proximity of high-finder radars. Anti-missile
systems are not potentially dangerous to human unless he is exposed on the main beam of an
antenna. Microwave-audio-effect devices work effectively if the pulsed energy density
exceeds 0,4 J/m 2 [2] that means at the plain wave conditions electric field strength of only
2,7 kV/m for a 20 microscec pulses (acceptable), but 40 kV/m for a 100 nsec pulses
(potentially dangerous). Authors of [5] claim the Active Denial System (ADS) is harmless to
the people but it may cause a skin burns. Moreover the contact lenses have been prohibited to
use by volunteers the system has been tested on. Is it because of potential eyes damage?
References:
1. Benford J., Swegle A., Schamiloglu E., High Power Microwaves, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2007
2. Guy A. W., Chou C. K., Lin J. C., Christensen D., Microwave-Induced Acoustic Effects in
Mammalian Auditory Systems and Physical Materials, NYASA, 1975, vol. 247, pp. 194-218
3. Hambling D., Microwave ray gun controls crowds with noise, Newscientist, 2008, available
at: internet
4. Kopp C., Electromagnetic Bomb – a Weapon of Electrical Mass Destruction, Air & Space
Power Journal – Chronicles Online Journal, available at internet
5. Narrative Summary and Independent Assessment of the Active Denial System, Joint Non-
Lethal Weapons Program, available at: www.jnlwp.com
6. Rozporządzenie Ministra Pracy i Polityki Społecznej z dnia 29 listopada 2002 r. w sprawie
najwyższych dopuszczalnych stężeń i natężeń czynników szkodliwych dla zdrowia
w środowisku pracy.
7. Valouch J., Electromagnetic Directed Energy Weapons for Eliminating Electronic Systems,
available at: internet
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