Champ (Weapon)

The Counter-electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) warhead is a weapon designed by the United States for localized, physical attacks on electronic equipment. This weapon is currently loaded into an air-launched cruise missile and delivered from a B-52 Stratofortress bomber. Once launched, it travels at low-altitude for up to 700 miles to its target. When it arrives at the designated target, it emits a series of microwave pulses intended to disrupt and perhaps even disable electronic circuits. As development has continued, the weapon was improved significantly by employing a newer power source. Models using this are called "Super CHAMP" due to their increased performance.^[1][2]

History[edit]

The U.S. has known for quite some time that microwaves could be used to great effect for this purpose, but only recently have been able to weaponize it. The Air Force Research Laboratory began work on the CHAMP in April 2009. Three and a half years later, they conducted a successful test of the weapon in October 2012 at the Utah Test and Training Range, where the CHAMP missile had the expected affect on the assortment of equipment tested. Since then, there have been several other tests which have remained classified.^[2][3]

Uses[edit]

This weapon is designed to attack facilities using electronic equipment. Rather than a kinetic warhead, this payload only affects unprotected electronics, hopefully preventing the target from using this equipment. A prime targets for this are command and control centers, where many computers and communication equipment are used. One hypothetical application of this would be to disable a North Korean C&C center, hopefully impairing their ability to launch missile attacks.^[2][4]
CHAMP can also be installed in Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM) missiles, which employ stealth technology to avoid detection. If completed, a microwave attack could be carried out silently and without warning to the target.^[5]
Raytheon has also proposed a derivative project for this technology which would be a ground-based microwave emitter, with a similar visual design to a radar dish. It would send out one or more targeted microwave pulses to hypothetically disable missiles and other unmanned aerial vehicles.^[6]

References[edit]