"It does not appear feasible to develop an NPB weapon system as a space-based system even by 2025 due to the weight, size, power, and inherent complexity of the NPB. Also, due to line of sight restrictions, the timeliness nd responsiveness would be low to moderate as the weapon waited for the target to move within view 2 [NPB's rapidly lose power when mirrors are used to redirect, or the reflection doesn't work at all - MILNET ]
ElectroMagnetic Pulse Weapons
Much has been written about these types of weapons. They fall in four classes: nuclear explosion generated EMP, a moving shunt device, the vicarator device, and discussed in another section, high power microwave.
"An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a sudden, high-intensity burst of broad-band electromagnetic radiation. The range of electromagnetic frequencies present depends on the source of the EMP. The high-altitude airburst of a nuclear weapon produces an intense EMP which, because of the relatively long duration of the explosion, contains strong low-frequency components (below 100Mhz). Conventional EMP devices built with explosively driven, high-power microwave technology produces a less intense, very short (nanoseconds) burst composed primarily of microwave frequencies (100Mhz-100Ghz). The range of the EMP effect depends on the strength of the source, as the initial electromagnetic shock wave propagates away from its source with a continuously decreasing intensity [ inverse square law in physics - MILNET]
"The gamma radiation produced by a fission or fusion bomb interacts with the atmosphere, creating a large region of positive and negative charges by stripping electrons from atmospheric gases. The motion of these charges creates the EMP. The pulse enters all unshielded circuits within range, causing damage ranging from circuit malfunction and memory loss to overheating and melting.
"Military useful EMP can also be created by mating a compact pulsed power source (gigawatt range), an electrical energy converter, and a high-power microwave device such as the "vircator" (virtual cathode oscillator). An advantage of a conventional EMP device is that it can be triggered in a shorter amount of time, thereby putting more output energy into the higher microwave frequencies (above 100Mhz). Since modern electronics operate primarily in these microwave bands, the EMP produced by conventional devices is potentially very effective in shutting down electronics. Explosively pumped EMP devices such as the vircator have another advantage; it is possible to design them to focus their EMP in a particular direction. Even a focused EMP effect produced by a conventional device will probably have a lethal radius measured only in hundreds to thousands of meters, depending upon the strength of the power source and atmospheric absorption (particularly at frequencies above 20 Ghz).
"Finally, the USAF Phillips Laboratory has produced compact plasma toroids with energies. Directed at solid targets, the plasma toroids induce rapid heating at the surface, producing extreme mechanical and thermal shock as well as a burst of X rays. The X-ray burst can also be used to generate EMP. While the theory predicts the toroids will be rapidly dissipated by the atmosphere, there may well be a method of delivering high-energy plasmas to the vicinity of a target that does not involve long paths in air.
"A 100-kiloton burst at an altitude of 60 miles would create damaging EMP over an area equal to half the US, at 300 miles, the same burst would create EMP over an area equal to the entire US plus most of Mexico and Canada. The gamma burst from a (purely hypothetical) micro-yield nuclear device might be used to create a more manageable effect." [right, no can do...so you have to get down and dirty to create an EMP burst that is even somewhat manageable, and now you are into damaging the ground underneath as well from the blast? - MILNET]
"Due to its indiscriminate nature, nuclear-driven EMP is only appropriate in total war scenarios (zero flexibility). The conventional EMP weapon, on the other hand, shows more flexibility in that it could be be directional and its effects could be localized. Both forms of EMP weapons are at least moderate in their timeliness and responsiveness, since an EMP "bomb" could potentially reach its target within 30 minutes after launch (by means of a launch vehicles similar to the modern ICBM). The precision of the EMP weapon is relatively low -- it is generally useful only for area targets (e.g. enemy towns, large facilities, or a squadron of enemy aircraft. The survivability and reliability of EMP weapons are moderate to high, particularly if the weapons themselves are ground based (as the payload of an ICBM or surface launched ballistic missile (SLBM)). Finally, and most unfortunately, the selective lethality of EMP weapons is low. The effect of an EMP burst on any given electrical system is highly unpredictable, since it depends in great detail on the precise geometry of the engagement, the exact design of the electrical system under attack, and even the current state of the atmosphere. In sum, the conventional EMP weapon has very interesting possibilities as a potential future weapon. However, the currently unpredictable lethality, limited flexibility, and questionable precision make it unattractive as the primary component of a space-strike weapon system in 2025." [however, as a possible nuisance or terrorist's weapon, it has high value - MILNET]
High-Power Microwave Weapons (HPM or HPMW)
The ability for RF based systems to jam or even destroy your enemies electronics systems has been a weapons idea for some time, with EM (electromagnetic) jammers being fielded in the Vietnam war. This futuristic idea has a real basis in fact already, and thus improvements would seem reasonable to postulate. Imagine the earth's atmosphere being a microwave oven, and you have an idea how scary this technology could be. The idea is simply, hook up a massively powerful power source to a high-power microwave emitter and then direct it at equipment, buildings or even individuals. You can disrupt, damage or destroy with this technology and since it is invisible radio frequencies, it is also quite frightening. Some might classify this as a terror weapon, not to far removed from the buzz bombs used against London in World War II, only those outside the damage area had any idea the attack was coming.
"A high-power microwave (HPMW) device also employs electromagnetic radiation as its weapon effect. Not as powerful as nuclear drive EMP weapns, HPMW weapons create a narrower level of microwave electromagnetic radiation by coupling fast, high energy pulsed power supplies to specifically designed microwave antenna arrays. Microwave frequencies (tens of megahertz to tens of gigahertz) are chosen for two reasons; the atmosphere is generally transparent to these frequencies. Unlike most EMP weapons, HPMW weapons produce beams defined by the shape and character of their microwave antenna array. HPMW beams are broader than those produced by NPBs and lasers, and this space-strike weapon system does not require extreme pointing and tracking accuracies. HPMW weapons can be trained on a target for an extended period of time, provided the power supply and HPMW circuitry can withstand the internal currents. As a rough point of comparison, HPMW systems produce 100-1,000 times the output power of modern electronic warfare (EW) systems.
"This light speed weapon can be understood as a "floodlight" that bathes its targets in microwave radiation. More directional and controllable than EMP, the general effect of this weapon on electrical systems is well
