High-Tech Weapons
Preface
This document is dedicated to all the men and women who are involved with ensuring the national security of the United States.
The following information was derived from these sources:
Body of Secrets by James Bamford.
Wizards of Langley by Jeffrey T. Richelson.
Top Secret Tourism by Harry Helms.
The Bureau by Ronald Kessler.
Newsweek magazine articles.
Time magazine articles.
Although I have attempted to gather and arrange the data into a comprehensive, understandable format, any errors and omissions are mine and not attributable to
any other authors or works. This document was created prior to the reorganization of the intelligence community following 9/11, so in many respects, it is
out-of-date.
This paper is designed to provide basic information to persons wishing to enter the US Intelligence Community and those who desire a broader knowledge of it. This
paper is not intended to cover every aspect of the intel community.
High-Tech Weapons and Support Items
e-bomb
This is a conventional bomb that is designed to generate a massive electrical magnetic pulse (EMP) on a smaller scale from that of the EMP generated by a nuclear
detonation. EMP is used to destroy electrical circuits and electronics by causing overloading eddy currents to flow through them, much the same as a lightning strike,
burning out the components and wiring.
JDAM (Joint Direct-Attack Munition)
This is a satellite-guided smart bomb with a conventional warhead, often carrying a 2,000 lb. warhead.
Daisy Cutter
This is a 15,000-lb. conventional, gravity bomb used in Vietnam in the late 1960s and early 1970s and in Afghanistan in the early 2000s. Because this bomb is too
large to be carried by conventional bombers, it must be delivered by a transport plane, such as a C-130, and pushed out the back.
MOAB (Massive Ordance Air-Burst Bomb)
This is a satellite-guided smart bomb with a 21,000-lb. conventional warhead. The first full-scale test of a MOAB was accomplished on March 11, 2003 on the Florida
panhandle. This bomb is designed to be used against massed troops to disable them and cause panic. Because this bomb is too large to be carried by conventional
bombers, it must be delivered by a transport plane, such as a C-130, and pushed out the back. Troops sometimes alter the meaning of the acronym to "Mother Of All
Bombs."
Laser-Guided Bombs(LGB)
This is a generation of smart bombs that are guided to their target by a laser beam pointed at the target from an airborne or ground-based location. The target
is "lased"by "illuminating" it with a laser beam from a laser target designator. The bomb's guidance system acquires the location where the beam is reflected off the
target and tracks inbound to that point. LGB technology does not work when the air between the laser transmitter and the target is not clear because the beam
cannot penetrate clouds, smoke, dust, or other atmospheric contamination. LGB is strictly a line-of-sight (LOS) targeting methodology.
Satellite-Guided Bombs
This is a generation of smart bombs that are guided to their target by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and a small, internal guidance computer. The
guidance system can be used with any type of warhead, conventional or nuclear. This type of bomb does not require laser illumination of the target as did earlier
"smart" munitions. It uses a "set and forget" philosophy of target acquisition.
The latitude and longitude coordinates of the target are fed to the bomb's computer prior to its release.
Because the bomb has some control over its flight path during the descent, the operational area may be thought of as a cone rising from the target up to the release
altitude. If winds are present, the cone will be tilted into the wind, which means that the wind speed affects the distance the bomb can travel during its fall.
The theoretical shape of the cone will be undulated depending on the wind speed and direction at various altitudes. If the bomb is released anywhere within the
operational cone, it will hit the target. The greater the altitude of the release platform, the wider the mouth of the cone at that altitude.
Winds aloft information and the release altitude determine when the release platform is inside the operational cone.
It is presumed that a computer onboard the aircraft is fed winds aloft, if available; target latitude and longitude; and altitude so that it can determine when the ordinance
can be dropped.
The guidance computer and GPS receiver determine the required amount and direction of movement of the control surfaces to guide the bomb to the target. The
challenge is for the delivery platform to be within the operational cone of the target prior to release.
The size of the operational cone varies due to factors such as the weight of the bomb, the aerodynamic shape of the bomb, the size of the control fins, and the
maximum angle the fins can be tilted.
Although high-megaton air-burst nuclear weapons may not require a guidance system, the small "bunker buster" nuclear weapons need a precision guidance system,
such as the one described here, to hit and penetrate the bunker at the optimal location.
Mini-nukes
Mini-nukes are proposed, small tactical nuclear weapons to destroy hard and deeply buried targets (HDBT). They are designed to destroy deep bunkers 1,000 feet
below the surface. These mini-nukes could be used to eliminate hiding places in the caves of Afghanistan as well as underground sites for development of nuclear
weapons of mass destruction (WMD) used by Iran and North Korea. The relative size of nuclear weapons is shown below.
Weapon description.................Weapon size
Trident II single warhead..........475 kilotons
(the Trident has 8 multiple-targeted reentry vehicles (MIRV) warheads)
Hiroshima bomb.......................15 kilotons
Mini-nuke..................................5 kilotons (or less)
Pulse Energy Weapons
Pulse energy weapons are in development, designed to direct an energy beam to incapacitate enemy troops, weapons, communications, aircraft, and ground
vehicles.
Nuclear Submarines
Nuclear submarines are used to deliver Special Operations Forces (SOF) to critical areas where the presence of military personnel is to be clandestine. SOF groups
usually number six to about a dozen and can be Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel.
The traditional clandestine seaborne SOF deployment vehicle is the fast attack nuclear submarine because it is quiet, stealthy, and can loiter for long periods and is
mission-flexible to carry out a multitude of operations.
Mission-strategic nuclear submarines, Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines, are those that carry intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), such as Trident
submarines. Their mission commitment is to maintain a pre-launch profile that prohibits them from participating in any other operations. In the wake of the
restructuring of the Soviet Union, some Tridents have had their missiles offloaded and have been converted to large SOF transport and deployment platforms.
In the event that an FBM submarine has launched all of its strategic ballistic missiles, its mission changes to that of a fast-attack submarine and becomes
mission-flexible, able to participate in SOF deployment and all other missions that fast attack boats carry out.
SOF Personal Equipment Advanced Requirements(SPEAR)
SPEAR is a requirement for future equipment to provide Special Operations Force (SOF) personnel. Such equipment includes weapons, communications
devices, navigation devices, night vision devices, laser target designators, body armor, food, packs, clothing, etc. SPEAR is related to the SOF Information
Enterprise (SIE).
Advanced Body Armor
Advanced body armor for troops is of two different types: Titanium-based armor (model SOV-1000) and ceramic-based armor (model SOV-2000). The ceramic-based
armor is constructed of ceramic disks, each about 0.8 inches (2 cm) thick. The disks are arranged like scales on a fish to provide the wearer with flexibility in
movement. It is called "Dragon Skin" by the manufacturer. The ceramic body armor is available in a range of boyancy options for divers (e.g: Navy
Seals).