Russia's "Microwave Gun"

Hmm...
"A Russian military official has claimed that they have developed a ‘microwave gun’.
The high-frequency weapon can supposedly disable an unmanned drone and even a missile from up to six miles (10km) away.
The weapon apparently deactivates the radios of UAVs and warheads, causing them to lose control.
Designed for the surface-to-air BUK missile system, the gun was developed by Russia’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC).
Informally named the ‘microwave gun’, it will be unveiled as part of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Army-2015 international event in Moscow in the coming days.
Aside from the six-mile (10km) range, the gun can also apparently operate in a ‘defense perimeter’ of 360 degrees.
While Russia might boast its microwave gun capabilities, last month the US Navy unveiled a roof-mounted laser that can shoot down drones.
The Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy On-the-Move programme, commonly referred to as GBAD, allows controllers to simply drive the weapon to a target.
Once drones are spotted, it can them shoot them out of the sky with a high powered laser.
The GBAD system is being designed for use on light tactical vehicles such as the Humvee and Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
It would be used on missile systems on the ground, to target unmanned planes in the air.
By directing high-frequency microwaves towards a target, it is theoretically possibly to destroy unprotected electronics.
The gun would use a 'reflector antenna' to focus the microwaves created by a generator.
An unknown 'transmission system' would fire the beams towards their target.
No other technical specifications have been given, so it’s unclear exactly how the weapon would work."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3126546/Russia-developing-MICROWAVE-GUN-Weapon-shoot-drone-sky-six-miles-away-claims-military-official.html#ixzz3dH9indHd

 

YAWN!

Gotta love the Daily Mail and Russia...

This is neither news nor is it something to "brag" about. ‘Microwave gun’...Bah! This is fairly old tech, It had come into "fashion" back in the late '80s, early 90's, except, back then, it was called a HERF(High Energy Radio Frequency) gun.

If you check Google or Youtube, you'll find umpteen different ways to build your own HERF gun, using off-the-shelf equipment. Of course, such DIY projects will lack then 10 kilometer range, but the principals are exactly the same.

 

I thought of the old Cold War NEMP and HEMP ideas when I read it at first.

 

Baffled.

Wouldn't this be amazingly easy to protect against?

Microwave, X-ray, and Sound weapons were supposedly investigated even by the Nazis.

Just goes to show what you can spend your hard-earned dosh on, if you're desperate enough.

 

Theres thousands of television dinners quivering right now...

 

Rather than trhow my microwave at a drone, I'll opt to the modern laser system instead.

 

If you had the right equipment, you could convert the beam into usable energy...

 

gun technology seems like there should be something new ...it's been the same for how many years??

 

Rather depends on what you consider "new" and what time frame you are talking about. If you are talking Cannon for AT guns most countries went to smooth bores and sabot ammo in the latter half of the 20th century. The Germans were working hard on a caseless round for their assult rifle in the latter half of the 20th century as well. Then there are things like Metal Storm, rail guns, and coil guns. What do you consider directed energy weapons? There have also been some improvements in propellents and bore liners (which tend to go hand in hand). Then there are some new aiming systems that can let a half way decent shot shoot like a well qualified sniper. There were also some redesigns of muzzle brakes that helped compensate for recoil and made heavy caliber sniper rifles worth persueing.

 

we are still using weapons with powder propellant...by new I mean something without powder propellant

 

Well the rail guns and coil guns fit that (although some coil guns use powder as an initiator). There were also some howizter designs that were at least looked at that used liquid propellent. Not sure if you want to include those or not. Considering that the bow and sling lasted thousands of years and gunpowder weapons are only a few hundred years old I don't see anything to amazing about that. Then if you consider that modern gunpowder (as opposed to blackpowder) is only a bit over 100 years old. There were also some off shoots that might be worth revisiting the pneumatic "dyanamite" guns for instance didn't use gunpowder as a propellent but didn't go very far either. How about the tube launched missiles?

 

Powder is highly efficient, in that it's all you need. It is self-contained, and nfunctions in the theatre easily, no extra parts needed (1: gun 2: ammo 3: user)

A railgun or laser is all very nice when you have oodles of electrical power lying about undisturbed by enemy activities (you know, as you do in a war zone).

 

Meh, I think they have just developed their first microwave oven at most...

This technology is so old so hard to believe they have invented any sensible stuff from it. As someone stated above the nazis investigated this too so not really breaking news. Of course, maybe the Russians found out about the technology just now and are super excited about it...

 

but they didn't have computers way back then....and the ability to harness many materials and forces....100 years and no change?? with computers now, they should be able to develop technology much faster than when they didn't have them....

 

Hey our cars use internal combustion...one step from the external combustion engine...a steam train...we stil use rockets for space travel...

 

Hey our cars use internal combustion...one step from the external combustion engine...a steam train...we stil use rockets for space travel...

 

exactly CAC, exactly....or maybe humans and their technology cannot overcome our ''damnation''?? our ''weaknesses''? ''earthly'' laws??

 

In Soviet Russia, microwaves cook you.

 

And the gun would not cook itself first? Why would nobody else do this if the microwave has been there for a long time?

 

I have a fart gun. Don't make me use it.