Re: Scouts and drone/robot disabling

> Beth mentioned that it is hard to generate an EMP. I'd agree that OO
> knows his stuff, but I've seen an EMD (Electromagnetic disabler)
> which is a sort of EMP mine used to take out car engines during high
> speed chases. It generates enough of an EMP that it just kills the
> car engine BANG! And does so from the ground underneath. Now, that's
> _nearly_ a contact mine. It could be for disabling robots. Generating
> an EMP that carries is probably tougher as I suspect the energy of
> the pulse wavefront probably declines as a squared or cubic function
> of radius. So, I think it probably IS portable to make EMP mines for
> killing ground vehicles or robots, and is very HARD to make airborne
> EMP weapons (that are non-nuclear).

Both France and Russia have EM mine sweeping system that can be attached
to
the their tanks.  They use EMF to detnate mines in front of the tanks. 
You
are correct about the exponetial decrease of EMF/EMP.  So you need to be
really close, or have a very powerful generator.  This means it's not
useful
for AIM-9 type missiles, but could be useful for large surface to air
missiles.  The difference is the size of warhead.  Nukes are the easiest
way
to generate large amounts of EMP, espesically designer nukes (nukes
optimized for specific effects).

ias