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CHAMP: an Electronic Warfare Missile that can fire a directed high power energy microwave (HPM) weapon at a target (or area) and kill electronics. While this is currently mounted in a cruise missile-like airframe, it's clear larger and more powerful versions could be mounted on combat aircraft - with God knows what kind of capabilities, and I don't mean just on electronics. There has also been talk of mounting HPM tactical weapons on US warships.
Aviation Week....
Aviation Week....
First Look: Electronic Warfare Missile
The U.S. has built, flown, pointed and triggered a missile designed specifically to carry a directed-energy weapon. That payload, expected to be operational soon, will be able to disrupt, shut down, spoof or damage electrical systems, but little has been revealed about the project.
However, various clues have provided substantive details about the design and concept of operations (conops) for the new missile and its exotic payload. They come from Boeing officials, industry specialists and U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory sponsors who are working on the Counter-electronics High-power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (Champ).
An illustration created by Boeing shows the missile being dropped by a B-52, which means at least some versions of the design are air-launched. However, the directed-energy, high-power microwave (HPM) payload also is designed for integration into land, sea or other air-based platforms for operational flexibility.
As to the warhead’s anti-electronics capabilities, “the whole radio frequency spectrum is viable as a target,†says Keith Coleman, Boeing’s program manager for Champ since 2009. The systems will be tailored to the target defined by the customer. The effects will depend on the frequency and effective radiated power (ERP). There are many options.
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“Any unmanned aircraft would be a candidate for these types of systems,†Coleman says. However, “Boeing built the Champ system to be easily transitioned to [alternative platforms]. From the start we designed it with as many features as possible so that we would need minimum adjustments.â€
Program officials will not address the question of whether Champ is associated with the Air Force’s Long-Range Strike (LRS) program. Air Force and aerospace industry officials have said that directed-energy weapons support and electronic attack will be supplied to LRS by adjunct, unmanned aircraft.
“Champ is a template for future HPM programs,†Coleman says. “There has never been this type of system with this kind of power out on any vehicle of any sort before.â€
Coleman contends there would be little difficulty putting the HPM weapons technology on a smaller or larger airframe.
“The HPM system itself is a very flexible integration,†he says. If smaller, you get less ERP and if bigger you get more. But if you are smaller, you can probably get closer [to the target without being detected]. I absolutely think there is a desire to go to a bigger airframe. ERP is dependent on the size of the aperture. The bigger the aperture, the more power you can produce and the more standoff you get.â€
The U.S. has built, flown, pointed and triggered a missile designed specifically to carry a directed-energy weapon. That payload, expected to be operational soon, will be able to disrupt, shut down, spoof or damage electrical systems, but little has been revealed about the project.
However, various clues have provided substantive details about the design and concept of operations (conops) for the new missile and its exotic payload. They come from Boeing officials, industry specialists and U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory sponsors who are working on the Counter-electronics High-power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (Champ).
An illustration created by Boeing shows the missile being dropped by a B-52, which means at least some versions of the design are air-launched. However, the directed-energy, high-power microwave (HPM) payload also is designed for integration into land, sea or other air-based platforms for operational flexibility.
As to the warhead’s anti-electronics capabilities, “the whole radio frequency spectrum is viable as a target,†says Keith Coleman, Boeing’s program manager for Champ since 2009. The systems will be tailored to the target defined by the customer. The effects will depend on the frequency and effective radiated power (ERP). There are many options.
>
>
“Any unmanned aircraft would be a candidate for these types of systems,†Coleman says. However, “Boeing built the Champ system to be easily transitioned to [alternative platforms]. From the start we designed it with as many features as possible so that we would need minimum adjustments.â€
Program officials will not address the question of whether Champ is associated with the Air Force’s Long-Range Strike (LRS) program. Air Force and aerospace industry officials have said that directed-energy weapons support and electronic attack will be supplied to LRS by adjunct, unmanned aircraft.
“Champ is a template for future HPM programs,†Coleman says. “There has never been this type of system with this kind of power out on any vehicle of any sort before.â€
Coleman contends there would be little difficulty putting the HPM weapons technology on a smaller or larger airframe.
“The HPM system itself is a very flexible integration,†he says. If smaller, you get less ERP and if bigger you get more. But if you are smaller, you can probably get closer [to the target without being detected]. I absolutely think there is a desire to go to a bigger airframe. ERP is dependent on the size of the aperture. The bigger the aperture, the more power you can produce and the more standoff you get.â€