Directed Energy Weapons Acronyms & Glossary

Directed Energy Weapons
Acronyms and Glossary*

ABL -- Airborne Laser
COIL -- Chemical Oxygen Iodine Lasers
CPB -- Charged Particle Beam
DEW -- Directed Energy Weapons
DEW-V -- Directed Energy Warfare - Vehicle
EMI -- Electromagnetic Interference
EMP -- Electromagnetic Pulse
FEL -- Free Electron Laser
GARDIAN -- General Area Defense Integration Antimissile System
HEL --High Energy Laser
HIRF -- High-Intensity Radio Frequency
HPM -- High Power Microwave
HPRF -- High Power Radio Frequency
LCMS -- Laser Countermeasure System
LLDR -- Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder
MIRACL -- Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser
MODS -- Mobile Ordnance Disrupter System
NLW -- Non-lethal Weapons
NNEMP -- Non-Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse
SBL -- Space-Based Laser
THEL -- Tactical High-Energy Laser

DTIC Thesaurus: High energy lasers, such as continuous wave, repetitively pulsed, and single pulse, for tactical and strategic applications; Charged and neutral particle beam weapons. Includes energy generators, beam handling and control, target effects and countermeasures.

Directed Energy [DE]: (DOD) An umbrella term covering technologies that relate to the production of a beam of concentrated electromagnetic energy or atomic or subatomic particles. [1]

Directed Energy Device: (DOD) A system using directed energy primarily for a purpose other than as a weapon. Directed-energy devices may produce effects that could allow the device to be used as a weapon against certain threats, for example, laser rangefinders and designators used against sensors that are sensitive to light. [1]

Directed-Energy Protective Measures: (DOD) That division of directed-energy warfare involving actions taken to protect friendly equipment, facilities, and personnel to ensure friendly effective uses of the electromagnetic spectrum that are threatened by hostile directed-energy weapons and devices. [1]

Directed-Energy Warfare: (DOD) Military action involving the use of directed-energy weapons, devices, and countermeasures to either cause direct damage or destruction of enemy equipment, facilities and personnel, or to determine, exploit, reduce, or prevent hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum through damage, destruction, and disruption. It also includes actions taken to protect friendly equipment, facilities, and personnel and retain friendly use of the electromagnetic spectrum. Also called DEW. [1]

Directed-Energy Weapon [DEW]: (DOD) A system using directed energy primarily as a direct means to damage or destroy enemy equipment, facilities, and personnel. [1]

Electromagnetic Interference [EMI]: (DOD) Any electromagnetic disturbance that interrupts, obstructs, or otherwise degrades or limits the effective performance of electronics/electrical equipment. It can be induced intentionally, as in some forms of electronic warfare, or unintentionally, as a result of spurious emissions and responses, intermodulation products, and the like. [1]

Electromagnetic Pulse [EMP]: (DOD) The electromagnetic radiation from a nuclear explosion caused by Compton-recoil electrons and photoelectrons from photons scattered in the materials of the nuclear device or in a surrounding medium. The resulting electric and magnetic fields may couple with electrical/electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges. May also be caused by nonnuclear means. [1]

Free Electron Lasers [FEL]: High-energy lasers in which the relativistic electron beam energy is converted into optical energy. [2]

High Power Microwave [HPM] Weapons: Energy generated by a conventional electromagnetic apparatus, such as a radar transmitter, or released from a conventional explosion converted into a ratio-frequency weapon which causes the disruption of electronic systems. Usually an ultra-wide ban source focus due to target vulnerability considerations. HPMs can also cause human unconsciousness without permanent maiming by upsetting the neural pathways in the brain and/or death. [3]

Non-Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse [NNEMP] Weapons: Non-nuclear EMP generating weapons mounted on cruise missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which would disable enemy tanks and early warning radars would be invaluable. Such weapons when they explode would produce a momentary blast of microwaves powerful enough to disable all but special, radiation-hardened electronic devices. [3]

Particle Beam Weapons [PBW]: Nonnuclear weapons using a stream of high velocity particles or atomic or subatomic particles, excluding simulators for nuclear weapons-provided effects. [2]

Radio Frequency [RF] Weapons: A class of weapons which transmit short, high-powered pulses of electromagnetic radiation over significant ranges. [3]

Thermal Gun: A device that directs energy to produce heat, in concept similar to a microwave oven. [3]

*Source Link.

End Times In Bush's Brain

Approximately forty percent of the american public subscribe to a literal translation of the Bible. A large, and influential percentage of the population believe we are living in "end days".

Tens of millions of american christians believe that a nuclear war between Israel, and an Islamic nation will take place, and that this war will lead to the death of billions of people around the world.

They also believe that this war must take place prior to the second coming of Jesus.

The president of the United States of America should be asked point blank by a member of the mainstream media if he subscribes to this view on the fate of mankind.

We really need to know what is rattling around up there in Bush's brain - don't we?

If Bush believes this fate exist, and if he truly believes his war in Iraq was at God's direction then it would help "We the People" to understand what our government is likely to do, or not to do. If the leaders of this nation take a fatalistic view of war in the Middle East then any notion of progress towards peace would be severely compromised.

With escalating conflict in the Middle East this would be a good time if some brave journalist shouted that question at the President.

"Are we living in end times Mr. President, and if so how do you see your role in brokering a peace in the Middle East?".

War & The Damned Dirty Apes!

Image: They Finally Did It*


I don't really feel we can blame religion entirely for what we are seeing in the Middle East. A brief look look at the history of humankind shows that wars have been fought by various peoples at various times, and places for a variety of "reasons".

Religion is essentially an excuse for going to war, but the main intent of war is theft. War is organized stealing. In the past if you wanted something your neighbor had, and didn't want to trade for it, you'd drum up some reasons, gather an army, and raid their lands.

Some of your party would surely die, but to the victors went the spoils. The victors were paid in sex, slaves, land, precious metals, gems, money, food, beer, and wine. If you survived it war could be a fairly lucrative operation.

War was like playing the lottery. There have always been people so downtrodden that risking their lives to wage war seemed like a risk worth taking.

We believe we're different, but we have our "Oil War", and we pay bonuses to those willing to enlist, or reenlist hoping that we will keep the ranks of our military well stocked. War is war.

War isn't as easy to understand today as it was in the past. We forbid modern armies the pleasures of rape, and plunder. Yet war in the end results in a victor to which goes the spoils.

The spoils may no longer return in chariots filled with gold, but there are spoils none the less. Modern day spoils come in the form of control over natural resources.

Plunder is no longer divided through the counting of coins, or jars of wine, but through lucrative contracts obtained by multinational corporations. Plunder is divided through the redistribution of wealth created via access to natural resources, and markets.

Call it a war of liberation, or a war of retribution, but when it comes down to it - it doesn't matter how we justify war - for in the end we're just a bunch of damned dirty apes running around killing each other so that we can steal as much as we can.

*Image: Not mine, although I edited it. I found the image using a Google Search. I added color, and contrast. I also digitally altered it, and then resized it. It's based upon a scene in the original Planet of the Apes movie. Charlton Heston's character discovers that the planet he is on is Earth. That due to an atomic war all he knew was destroyed long ago. A scene which sent shivers down my spine as a child. There's a horse in the lower right corner. The main character is on his hands, and knees in anguish just in front of the horse. A partially melted Statue of Liberty appears before him on the beach. Is this mankind's fate?

A Wave Particle Duality Cartoon?

Randy at Photo-Etc has linked to a short little cartoon which describes wave-particle duality.

Now I know some of you might be asking yourselves just why you'd want to watch such a cartoon about quantum physics.

You're not interested in that science crap!

You got a "C" in every science related class you ever took, and who cares about that stuff ~ anyhow?

If you feel that way, maybe you shouldn't watch the cartoon.

But for those of you who have been reading some of my recent post regarding the nature of the quantum mind who might want a quick way to advance your understanding of some of what I have been referring to - without having to read a boring description in some science magazine then this cartoon is worth watching.

Then again, what the bleep do I know?

Bush's Last Shin Dig

Bush walks up to the podium.

This is the Republican National Convention.

The crowd goes crazy!

They are the faithful.

They are the true americans!

Cheering for their beloved king!

They won't let him speak!

He smiles.

He winks.

He steps away from the podium.

He speaks to Laura.

She smiles.

She nods.

With a tear in her eye.

Get the close up!

On three!

She is so proud of her man.

He walks to the edge of the stage.

And points.

He's a people's man.

He knows em.

He swaggers back to the podium.

They won't let him speak!

He steps away again.

He looks out upon the sea.

Red.

White.

Blue.

Bush Signs.

They love him.

He is our hero!

He saved us!

Ten minutes later.

He makes it back to the microphone.

They told everyone only ten minutes.

He makes his joke.

They laugh.

And laugh!

Can you believe how funny that joke was!

He's so witty!

He's such a wonderful man!

If only we could keep him in office.

For another four years!

The crowd begins chanting "Four More Years! Four More Years!"

He seems prepared.

He's so clever.

Another Joke.

This one self deprecating.

Laura told him it's time.

Time to spend more time doing something important.

Like common folk do.

On the ranch!

Yes, the ranch!

He's a people's man!

He was just like Reagan!

Off into the Texas sunset!

Our hero.

Our cowboy.

They laugh, and laugh again.

He begins to speak again.

They hush now.

This is important!

The Republicans saved America in a troubled time.

No mention of Iraq will be made - it was decided.

No mention of Osama Bin Laden either - it's for the best.

The nation will still be at war.

In Iraq.

Five thousand U.S. war dead.

Fifty thousand wounded.

A half trillion dollars spent on Iraq.

And a raging civil war.

The borders, and ports of the U.S. will still be undefended.

The crowd will chant "Four More Years, Four More Years".

For exactly four minutes.

That's the secret.

Timing is everything.

Go to two!

Go to two for the close up!