Electromagnetic Pulse Cannon Has The Attention Of The USAF (w/ Video)

(PhysOrg.com) -- According to Flight International, a Canadian company will soon demo an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) cannon that is capable of stopping a car at a distance of 656 feet (200m).

The EMP cannon will only work on cars that have on board computers. The disabling power relies on the car’s microprocessors and various other electronics that controls the engine.

Flight International found a Request For Information (RFI) by the US Air Force's Air Armament Center for a non-lethal weapon that can stop cars.

The RFI is seeking information that could lead to development of an air-delivered capability to disable moving ground vehicles while minimizing harm to occupants. The USAF is looking for responses that take advantage of existing infrastructure so that cost and development time can be kept to a minimum.

Eureka Aerospace, which is being funded by the US Marine Corps and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, will be demonstrating an improved version of its car stopper next month for the Marines at Dahlgren naval warfare center.

The device consists of a 1.2m-wide "flat screen-like" antenna weighting about 50-55lbs. With that aperture size, cars can be disabled up to 200m away by disrupting their electrical systems. One drawback to this system is that it can’t be used on mid 1970’s or older cars because they don’t have the necessary electronics.

This device can also prove to be a valuable weapon for law enforcement. High speed car chases occur every day and usually end up in fatalities of innocent people. By retrofitting this device to a police helicopter, car chases can be greatly reduced.

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