Thread: Directed Energy Weapons

1) If you happen to be a gamer who enjoys first-person shooters, then you may have unwittingly played around with directed energy weapons (DEWs) — albeit just for pretend.

2) Back in the day, the futuristic technology showcased in games like Halo and Gears of War seemed like pure fantasy — yet little did I realize that some of the advanced sci-fi weaponry in these games were closer to reality than fiction.

3) The US military possesses far more advanced weapons capabilities than what it reveals to the public. DEWs are part of a broader group of weapons known as non-lethal weapons. Needless to say, the US Department of Defense (DoD) Non-Lethal Weapons Program is cutting-edge.

4) The DoD, which is controlled by barbaric psychopaths, defines “directed energy” as the following: “An umbrella term covering technologies that relate to the production of a beam of concentrated electromagnetic energy or atomic or subatomic particles.”
https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/dictionary.pdf?ver=2020-01-24-100230-123

5) It goes on to define a “directed-energy weapon” as: “A weapon or system that uses directed energy to incapacitate, damage, or destroy enemy equipment, facilities, and/or personnel.”

6) The DoD states that “Non-lethal weapons can play a critical role in filling gaps between ‘shouting and shooting’ options as part of the escalation of force.”
https://jnlwp.defense.gov/About/Frequently-Asked-Questions/Non-Lethal-Weapons-FAQs/

7) The DoD also claims that “Non-lethal weapons can protect warfighters by providing non-lethal counter-personnel and counter-material capabilities to engage targets at various ranges while helping to protect non-combatants.”

8) There are two basic types of DEWs: lasers and microwaves. They are both part of the electromagnetic spectrum and thus consist of the same electromagnetic energy.

9) Electromagnetic energy can be explained with either wavelength or frequency. The shorter the wavelength of an energy field, the higher its frequency is.

10) Lasers have a shorter wavelength than microwaves, so they vibrate at a higher frequency. Essentially, the primary difference between the two is their frequency.

11) Power is another consideration, since two different microwave/laser devices can operate at the same frequency yet have vastly different power levels.

12) The word “laser” is an acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.” A laser is a device that generates a beam of highly amplified and coherent radiation at one discrete wavelength.

13) Lasers consist of two main groups: low-powered and high-powered. Low-powered lasers can be used to disrupt vision, whereas high-powered lasers can be used on people and material.

14) DEWs are affected by diffraction, which occurs when dispersal of energy in the atmosphere leads to a reduction in focused power. Shorter wavelengths will have less diffraction than longer ones.

15) Laser wavelengths are approximately 10000 times smaller than microwaves, meaning they are more accurate at long distances.

16) Microwave weapons consist of two main types: millimeter wave devices and the electromagnetic bomb (e-bomb).

17) Millimeter wave devices can be focused on a target from afar and produce a burning sensation. A prime example of this is the Active Denial System (ADS).

18) The e-bomb is a devastating weapon that generates a non-nuclear electromagnetic explosion, or pulse. It is capable of destroying electronic circuitry, communications networks, and harming organic matter.

19) Although microwave weapons are susceptible to higher diffraction, this can be used to their advantage — for instance, if the goal was to irradiate a large area.

20) DEWs have pinpoint accuracy, offer a low cost per use, and possess a virtually unlimited magazine capacity.

21) They have sophisticated sensors that make it easy to track, aim and shoot. They can operate in all weather conditions and can engage multiple targets.

22) Their energy travels at light speed and can penetrate walls at distances of hundreds of meters or more. More importantly, they are silent and allow for plausible deniability of their use.

23) DEWs are also scalable, meaning a single weapon can be configured to produce a multitude of effects simply by adjusting its power or frequency. These include dizziness, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pains, convulsions, epileptic seizures, and temporary paralysis.

24) Other effects of DEWs include headaches, cataracts, burning sensations, vibration of internal organs, cooking of internal organs, controlled heating of the entire body to produce a fever, and a loss of short-term memory or cognitive processes.

25) DEWs can be mounted on a variety of different platforms such as a missile, aircraft, ship, vehicle, etc. In 2002, the Journal of California Law Enforcement revealed that a high-powered microwave (HPM) can be built into a van. Highly portable suitcase-sized DEWs also exist.

26) The majority of DEWs rely on an acquisition, tracking, pointing, and fire control (ATP/FC) system. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) has conducted significant research on FRP/FC under the Space-Based Laser (SBL) program, which began in the 1980s.

27) ATP/FC systems enable a DEW to engage a large number of targets simply by placing a directed-energy beam on the aimpoint of each target. There are both broad and refined sensors, and they are usually low-powered infrared lasers.

28) Wide-area (broad) sensors detect certain activities which are then passed on to the more refined sensors which may be linked to a decision-making algorithm. The sensors may also be autonomous (self-directing).

29) Different sensors are used during the multiple phases of acquisition, tracking, pointing and fire control. There are some systems which also enable the prioritization of targets.

30) DEWs are without a doubt devastating, ultra-powerful and highly futuristic weapons that have the potential to wreak havoc and destruction on countless innocent people if placed in the wrong hands.

31) According to leading market and industry research firm Inkwood Research, the global DEW market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.26% during the period from 2020-2028.
https://www.reportlinker.com/p05351847/GLOBAL-DIRECTED-ENERGY-WEAPONS-MARKET-FORECAST.html?utm_source=PRN

32) It also states that the contributing factors for such a high CAGR are "rising demands for laser weapons system from the navy, increasing demand for accuracy and precision, and the overall growth of non-lethal weapons across the globe.”

33) Oddly enough, Inkwood Research neglected to include an increase in the murderous appetite of bloodthirsty psychopaths on its list of contributing factors. But that’s a subject for another thread. Besides, I’m sure it was just an honest mistake.

34) In case you’re interested in purchasing the full report, it goes for a mere $2125. Here are the companies mentioned inside.

35) Now is as good a time as ever to educate yourself on these insanely powerful tools of modern-day warfare, considering your own government neglected to ensure that you even knew about them.

36) Your primary takeaway should be the plausible deniability offered by their use, especially in the case of microwave DEWs — which are virtually undetectable to the naked eye.

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