US 'E-bomb' to destroy Iraqi communications
PTI[ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2003 09:53:19 AM ]
WASHINGTON: US has developed an 'E-bomb', which discharges high velocity electromagnetic pulses, whose use in the anticipated Iraq war is being considered, which is so powerful that it can permanently disable electrical and telecommunications systems, a report has said.
The E-bomb not only would disable Baghdad's command and control systems, but it could fry the circuitry of missile systems, even those in underground bunkers beyond the reach of conventional bombs.
The weapon has not been tested in battle but some Air Force commanders said that using such a weapon, which was long in development and is veiled in secrecy, would give the US a decisive initial advantage.
Officials said that it could be used as a bomb latched to the back of a cruise missile guided by satellite to a specific location or as a beam from a fighter jet or an unmanned plane.
The E-bomb has been in development by the Air Force for more than a decade. The weapons are part of the US military's efforts to harness high power energy sources for both disruptive and destructive purposes, without causing huge civilian casualties or the destruction of property.
In the E-bomb, a copper coil or other metal conduit would disseminate a rush of electric power in all directions.
Not only would it fry the circuitry of its initial point of contact, but the energy also "can be carried through local electrical circuits to the intended target even if the bomb misses by a considerable distance," according to the Lexinton Institute's Loren Thompson.
Bigger ,we need a much bigger bang,quite disappointing 
