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Krylov Center to Study EM Protection for Ships

Rubric: Russia, Industry

The Krylov State Scientific Center will design a special test bed to model adverse effects of electromagnetic weapons on surface ships’ electronics. The experiment is held within the federal program "Defense Industry Development" run by Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.

According to the procurement docs, first phase of designing of the test bed for electromagnetic weapons researches was finished at the Krylov center in September 2017.

Exhibition booth of the Krylov State Scientific Center

The first phase implied building of two special premises and purchase of various equipment, including an electric signals generator/converter and an electromagnetic field generator. Cost of works amounted to 130.7 mln rubles, the contract was executed by Sernia-SPb.

Currently, the Krylov center searches for contractors to accomplish the second phase. It includes procurement of a van-mounted autonomous system for local tests of EM effects on different radio electronic equipment. The system with sophisticated stuffing will cost 97.5 mln rubles.

Besides, the scientists are about to purchase hardware to test the influence of ultra-wideband nanosecond-range pulse electromagnetic fields. Overall cost of the equipment will make 67.7 mln rubles.

Finally, the Krylov center will spend 17 mln rubles on construction and installation works. The scientists expect the contractors to accomplish these orders by May 2018.

According to an insider directly involved in the marine electronic warfare issues, protection of ships from EM weapons is critical for the Navy’s combat worthiness.

"Microwave weapons are developed in two directions: disabling enemy’s shipboard electronics, and the use of acoustic UHF effect (the Frey effect – editor’s remark) against the crew. There’s a capability to disable a ship by the high-energy pulse, so how it can be instantly brought back in combat with all electronics burned out? Ignorance of the EM protection will make ships easy targets", the expert said.

In September 2017, Vladimir Mikheyev, an advisor to deputy director at Radioelectronic Technologies declared that development of electronic weapons disabling enemy’s hardware by powerful microwave pulse was underway in Russia. He added that similar researches were conducted in the US and China.