Program Summary
The Waveform Agile Radio-frequency Directed ENergy (WARDEN) program seeks to develop hardware, theory, and computational models to extend the range and effectiveness of high-power microwave (HPM) systems for backdoor attacks. HPM systems are a class of directed energy weapons (DEWs) that use electromagnetic (EM) radiation to disrupt, disable, or damage targeted electronic components and circuits. Electromagnetic radiation can couple into targets in-band via intentional ports such as antennas (“front door”) or via unintentional coupling paths such as seams, apertures, and cable entry points (“back door”). The advantages of HPM systems include non-kinetic, wide-area effects at large stand-off distances; deep magazines; operation in adverse environmental conditions; and speed-of-light engagement. In general, current HPM systems use oscillators as their RF source. These systems operate at a fixed frequency, are not readily tunable, and lack the phase coherence necessary for power combining. Front-door systems have the longest range, but their effectiveness is limited to the specific classes of targets for which they were designed. Back-door systems are effective against a wider variety of targets, but their range is limited by EM coupling inefficiencies arising from their lack of frequency tunability. Agile waveforms, combined with broadband high-power amplifiers, can reduce the threshold of the susceptibility of targeted systems to backdoor attacks and significantly extend the range and effectiveness of the HPM weapon system. WARDEN is developing flexible HPM technology that can be useful against a wide variety of target types.
The WARDEN program comprises three technical areas: HPM Traveling-wave Amplifier development, Rapid Assessment and Numerical Generation of EM Response (RANGER), and Agile Waveform Development. These key areas will be central in developing the necessary hardware, modeling tools and waveforms need to make WARDEN successful.