We have created an EMP grenade.

Now we have to create EMP proof electronics.

Now we are back at square one ready to start over again.

I remember many years ago my mate tekkie Jim, electronics genius and slight pyromaniac (cleared the weeds in my front garden using a plant mister, paraffin and a zippo), mentioning about EMP generation by suddenly collapsing a sphere of generated plasma.

At the time he had calculated that the device would fit in the boot area of a Ford Sierra estate (can't remember if you had to lower the rear seats or not)

The weapon would work over an area of about 40 meters sq..

His concept was diesel Ford Sierra estate, weapon in boot, racing Porsche 911's at traffic lights.

Get both parties revving engines, wait for amber light, trigger the device. All electrics die horribly ( including Porsche engine electrics and as a bonus the Porsche drivers digital watch ), diesel Sierra putts away from lights leaving Porsche driver with a big bill and the fact that he was beaten away from a set of lights by a diesel Sierra estate.

I had my doubts but when I saw Jim create a smoke screen using a tweaked stage smoke generator that completely covered 3 blocks of Victorian housing in Bradford in less than six seconds (the Royal Navy would have been seriously impressed), well what can I say....

I would file this under "complete bullshit" unless some other credible information shows up.

I'm pretty sure that with a bank of capacitors hooked up to a couple of miles of copper wire wrapped around a 6' long, 6" diameter iron nail, you could take out a good couple of tens of metres with EM leakage.

It'd get hot pretty quickly, though. And your rifles would probably break your ribs trying to get to the magnet...

Oh well, nothing's perfect.

Perhaps we could stick one to the side of a US killbot, I want copyright on I-suicide-bomber

"Nonetheless, despite the apparently authoritative nature of the source, we're going to file this one under "unconfirmed"."

Love your style, Lewis.:-)

* For all you youngsters in El Reg land, that is a play on the Manhattan Project and the Philadelphia Experiment. ....... which are themselves Clones and Tangents of Enigma Finesse and Turing Success.

The British Army had nuclear hand grenades in the 1950's. The first line of the operating instructions read:

"Remove safety pin and throw 15 miles..."

Without that nice, warm glow.

@AC - Garden Shed EMP weapons - my mate tekkie Jim

Ok, who else read this as "trekkie Jimi"??

I seem to recall articles in New Scientist around ten years or more ago describing sticks of dynamite in charged copper coils being used to generate EMPs. I also thought that an article here on el Reg mentioned the anti-radar pulse bombs used by armed forces.

Are my memory and recall really _that_ bad?

then I want my BFG10K...

That's all marine, stand down...

You can make a mint selling EMP grenades to civvies! Think of all the applications:

-Quieting annoying mobile phone conversations in public spaces.

-Next door neighbor's stereo keeping you up at night? Not anymore!!

-Phone calls interrupting you at work? Light off an EMP grenade next to your router/PBX!

-No more high speed chases once police cruisers come with a built-in grenade launcher

Sounds like an investment opportunity!

If they do exist, echo BlueGreen's points.

Thing is, it is an ideal guerilla weapon and has potential in asymetric warfare. I thought that a central plank of US military doctrine was to create lots of hi-tech toys for boys. EMP flash weapons erode that. Either you build incredibly hardened systems - with, doubtless, an increase in weight - or you go back to "dumb" systems. I know what would be cheaper.

Can the temptation to put this type of weapon into the hands of guerilla forces be resisted? Equipping the mujahadin with shoulder launched guided missles is one thing.

Recalling the excellent "bucket-o-sunshine" remark in your previous EMP-related article, Lewis, I suppose we could think of this device as a cup-o-sunshine? Or more appropriately considering the relative sizes of a nuke and a grenade, maybe thimble-o-sunshine perhaps? ;)

What a brilliant idea if it turns out to exist. Disabling vehicles (at least non-carbureted ones) with EMPs or MBTs, Helis, etc will bring a new dimension to the battlefield.

On the down side...lead lined counter-emp anything is going to weigh ton! :-)

>>>>My coat is the one with cybernetic implants...

Is that all thats needed?

Robin

Personally, I'd stick with the .45, but I do want the full range from Mark 1 through Mark 10 for my ammo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compression_generator

I wonder if anyone patented a coal fuelled steam powered battle tank yet? ...

I for one won't take them seriously until there's a tank of sharks with frikking laserbeams attached to their heads at the next defence show I visit.