HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah, Oct. 23, 2012. A recent weapons flight test of the Boeing [NYSE: BA] counter-electronics high-powered microwave advanced missile project (CHAMP) in the Utah desert may change future warfare after the missile defeated electronic targets with little to no collateral damage, according to Boeing officials.
Boeing and the U.S. air force research laboratory (AFRL) directed energy directorate, Kirtland Air Force base, N.M., tested the CHAMP missile during a flight over the Utah test and training range that was monitored from Hill Air Force base.
CHAMP, which renders electronic targets useless, is a non-kinetic alternative to traditional explosive weapons that use the energy of motion to defeat a target.
During the test, the CHAMP missile navigated a pre-programmed flight plan and emitted bursts of high-powered energy, knocking out the target's data and electronic subsystems. CHAMP allows for selective high-frequency radio wave strikes against numerous targets during a single mission.
The goal of CHAMP is to create a weapon that can eliminate the threat posed by weapons and structures that rely on electronics to operate without having to worry about collateral damage.
CHAMP is a multiyear, joint capability technology demonstration that includes ground and flight tests.
