Dean Brock writes:
Sirs; Firstly, let me start off by saying, I'm not an Engineer but I might have an idea that might be worth pursuing. I have a few friends at MCACC, Marine Corps Air Combat Center, 29 Palms, California that just back from Iraq, and in talking with them I was told of the extreme danger with car bombs. They use a wide variety of switches connected to an electronic detonator. And I think this might be a weak point, the detonators. I have noticed over the years when driving through an area when there is blasting is about to be done, there is signs all over the place telling us to turn off all CB radios, cell phones. At 29 Palms when you drive in through the front gate there are signs stating all transmitting devices in excess of 30 watts are to be turned off and not to be used, especially over by the magazine.
My question is: Would it to be possible to detonate an IED ( improvised explosive device) or car bomb by bombarding it with high levels of RF energy? Or to use the RF to initiate the electronic detonators thusly exploding the device.
(Continued - click Reply / Read More below)
Marines have told me that when you are at a vehicle check point this is a real hairy time. Any one of these cars has the capability of being "the one". There is just no way to tell until you do a vehicle search. The problem is, once the insurgent knows he is about to be searched he decides to cap the thing off right there at the check point instead of original destination. A secondary target of opportunity if you will.
My thought, to build a large rack, large enough to get a truck through, and have high RF energy emitters mounted on all sides of the target vehicle. If what I'm thinking is a possibility the RF should set off the device. One other thing, our Marines are back at a safe distance in case this thing goes off. They will just direct the suspect vehicle to the rack. Or have all vehicles go through the rack. It would keep all traffic back behind the rack until it can be checked by the rack. Thusly keeping danger away from our guys.
I don't have the technical ability or expertise to build this device but maybe one of you can.
I would be interested in hearing if this is feasible.
RE: Remote RF Detonation of IEDs and Car Bombs
