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>Nobody's bothered to try to figure out how to create a small-scale EMP without a nuclear blast Additionally the US DoD has an EMP weapon that comes in guid

>Nobody's bothered to try to figure out how to create a small-scale EMP without a nuclear blast Additionally the US DoD has an EMP weapon that comes in guided missile form via Raytheon/Boeing Phantom Works' CHAMP (publicly tested in 2012, confirmed in operation thereafter [1][2]) for taking out buildings, power grids, and such. It can be discharged 100 times per sortie. Targeting power grids 'the old fashioned way' in Desert Storm, Lockheed F-117As dropped a cluster bomb full of carbon graphite filaments (BLU-114/B). This shorted out power lines/transformers and destroyed 85% of Iraq's power grid. Later used in Serbia and accidentally in SoCal during testing [3]. --- [1] http://www.boeing.com/features/2012/10/bds-champ-10-22-12.page http://www.boeing.com/features/2012/10/bds-champ-10-22-12.pa... [2] http://mil-embedded.com/3908-air-forceboeing-emp-weapon-moving-forward/ http://mil-embedded.com/3908-air-forceboeing-emp-weapon-movi... [3] http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/blu-114.htm http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/blu-114.htm

TrevorJ 10y ago
Could you expand on the accidental power outage in SoCal during testing? I couldn't find a source on that, sounds interesting.
- stevenrace 10y ago
  "The idea for these soft bombs apparently grew out of a training accident in souther California. Military aircraft were dropping chaff - hundres of metallic strips used to confuse enemy radar. An airplane released its chaff near a power switching station and many of the strips fell onto a power switching station, blacking out a large area of Orange County." - Weapons of Mass Casualties and Terrorism Responce Handbook - Charles Stewart MD FACEP https://books.google.com/books?id=7ZnXZfwWwgcC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=Blackout+Led+to+Weapon+that+Darkened+Serbia&source=bl&ots=NBu5t2mURB&sig=p3sF_g0mbMyuobFIOOa3-1Ss0SY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwilnbHV8I_OAhVIbB4KHXHjD3kQ6AEIKzAC#v=onepage&q=souther%20california&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=7ZnXZfwWwgcC&pg=PA221&lpg=... referencing a Boston Globe article: May 4th 1999 page A27 --- I recall reading of another accident, but can't easily find the source.

TrevorJ 10y ago

Could you expand on the accidental power outage in SoCal during testing? I couldn't find a source on that, sounds interesting.

stevenrace 10y ago
"The idea for these soft bombs apparently grew out of a training accident in souther California. Military aircraft were dropping chaff - hundres of metallic strips used to confuse enemy radar. An airplane released its chaff near a power switching station and many of the strips fell onto a power switching station, blacking out a large area of Orange County." - Weapons of Mass Casualties and Terrorism Responce Handbook - Charles Stewart MD FACEP https://books.google.com/books?id=7ZnXZfwWwgcC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=Blackout+Led+to+Weapon+that+Darkened+Serbia&source=bl&ots=NBu5t2mURB&sig=p3sF_g0mbMyuobFIOOa3-1Ss0SY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwilnbHV8I_OAhVIbB4KHXHjD3kQ6AEIKzAC#v=onepage&q=souther%20california&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=7ZnXZfwWwgcC&pg=PA221&lpg=... referencing a Boston Globe article: May 4th 1999 page A27 --- I recall reading of another accident, but can't easily find the source.