ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Espionage, Intelligence, and Security Volume ...

Electromagnetic Warhead Shroudingtechnological interest, but most work is being done in theradio through the visible portions of the spectrum (below7.5 x 10 14 Hz), where communications, radar, and imagingcan be accomplished.❚ FURTHER READING:ELECTRONIC:“Electromagnetic Spectrum Use in Joint Military Operations.”Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction.May 1, 2000. (Jan. 30, 2003).Schroeder, Norbert. “Radio Frequency Spectrum Allocationsin the United States.” National Telecommunicationsand Information Administration. July 1, 2000. (Jan.30, 2003).SEE ALSOElectromagnetic Weapons, Biochemical EffectsElectronic CountermeasuresElectro-optical IntelligenceElectromagnetic Warhead Shrouding.SEE Infrared Detection Devices.❚ BRIAN HOYLEElectromagnetic Weapons,Biochemical EffectsElectromagnetic weapons—also known as E-bombs—aredesigned to release a high-power flash of radio waves ormicrowaves. Depending on the energy of the electromagneticpulse, effects can range from the disabling of electroniccircuitry to physiological effects in those exposed tothe electromagnetic pulse.The pulse released by an electromagnetic weaponlasts for an extremely short time, around 100 picoseconds(one ten-billionth of a second). The absorption of this blastof high energy by anything capable of conducting electricity,including nerves and neurons, overwhelms the recipient.Research and development into the effects of electromagneticweapons on human beings and animals wasunderway in the 1940s. The Japanese spent considerablesums of money on the development of a “Death Ray”between 1940 and 1945. A review of these studies by theUnited States military concluded that it was possible todevelop a weapon that would produce an electromagneticray capable of killing humans five to 10 miles away fromthe source.Animal studies have demonstrated the lethal natureof electromagnetic radiation. In the studies, wavelengthsranging from 60 centimeters destroyed the lung cells ofmice and ground hogs. Wavelengths less than two metersalso destroyed brain cells.Electronic stimulation can have other, nonlethal effectson humans. Secret research conducted in the UnitedStates following World War II demonstrated that electronicstimulation of different regions of the brain of testsubjects could produce extreme emotions of rage, lust,and fatigue. Another research program, dubbed “OperationKnockout,” operated at the Allan Memorial Institute inMontreal, Canada, with funding from the Central IntelligenceAgency. The study’s director, Dr. Ewen Cameron,discovered that electroshock treatments caused amnesia.Memories could be erased, and the subjects reprogrammed.Once these “psychic driving” experiments becamepublic, Cameron—then a pre-eminent psychiatrist,endured harsh public and professional criticism.In the 1960s, the U.S. Defense Advanced ProjectsResearch Agency (DARPA) studied the health and psychologicaleffects of low energy microwaves for weaponsapplications. The ability of microwaves to damage theheart, create leaks in blood vessels in the brain, and toproduce hallucinations were demonstrated.Many scientists assume that research into the debilitatingeffects of electromagnetic radiation has continuedup to the present day. However, increasing restrictions onthe information obtainable through the U.S. Freedom ofInformation Act have made verification difficult. A 1993U.S. Air Command and Staff College paper entitled “NonLethal Technology and Air Power” documented low frequency,“acoustic” and high power microwave weaponsthat could deter or debilitate humans.Low frequency electromagnetic waves, also knownas acoustic waves, have been commonly used for decadesin functions such as ultrasound machines. However, acousticwaves can also cause internal organs of humans tovibrate. The result can be nausea, diarrhea, earache, andmental confusion. The discomfort increases as one getscloser to the source.Shorter wavelength electromagnetic radiation producesdifferent effects. A common example is microwaveradiation, which in a microwave oven can be used to heatup foods and liquids. When directed at humans, a microwaveweapon causes atoms to vibrate, which in turngenerates heat. At 200 yards away, body temperatureincreases from the normal 98.6° F to 107° F. At closerrange, the temperature increase can be even higher, andis lethal.Microwave electromagnetic weapons can also stun avictim. This is the result of the stimulation of peripheralnerves. The simultaneous activity of many nerves overwhelmsthe capacity of the brain to process the incominginformation, and can induce unconsciousness.384 Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security