Modern war can rightfully be called the war of electronics. Over the past hundred years, this industry has achieved such results that more and more calls are being made to completely withdraw living soldiers from the battle and entrust everything to electronics. Nevertheless, a living person will be present on the battlefields for a long time, although his life will be facilitated with the help of electronic devices. In view of this trend, electronic warfare in general and active electronic countermeasures in particular are becoming especially important. So, the work of almost any unmanned aerial vehicle, of which so many have appeared in recent years, can at least be disrupted by means of electronic warfare. If you believe the official statements of Tehran, then this is how the American RQ-170 drone was captured last year.
However, it is not always necessary to take enemy equipment "live". Often it is enough to destroy it and not worry about further "hospitality". The most promising way to destroy enemy aircraft or guided weapons is a directed beam of electromagnetic radiation of sufficient power. When the electronics of a cruise missile or aircraft are exposed to such an impact, it seriously disrupts its operation, and in some cases it literally burns out. Accordingly, the aircraft or missile is no longer able to perform a combat mission.
More than ten years ago, at the Malaysian arms exhibition LIMA-2001, employees of the Moscow Radio Engineering Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences demonstrated for the first time their latest development called "Backpack-E" (also known as "Backpack-E"). The presented sample was made on the basis of the MAZ-543 chassis and in appearance resembled a certain coherent vehicle. The four-axle chassis housed a container-cabin with a parabolic antenna on the roof. The purpose of the "Ranets-E" complex, as it was clear from the accompanying brochures, is the directed "firing" of an electromagnetic pulse of the microwave range at various air and (if possible) ground targets in order to disable their electronics.
The mobile microwave protection system "Ranets-E" - this is how the full name of the complex looks like - includes a high-power electric generator, a control system, an electromagnetic pulse generator and an antenna. Depending on the customer's requirements, the complex can be manufactured both in stationary and mobile versions. Judging by the same declared weight of both versions of five tons, the mobile is a container with equipment and a control panel mounted on the chassis. Stationary, respectively, differs only in supports for placement on the ground. Otherwise, the Knapsack-E versions appear to be similar.
The declared maximum radiation power of the "Rantsa-E" is 500 megawatts. The complex produces such an indicator when emitting waves in the centimeter range and when generating a pulse with a duration of about 10-20 nanoseconds. With a longer operation, the power of the electromagnetic beam decreases accordingly. From the published data on the effectiveness of the complex, it follows that when using a 50-decibel antenna unit (there is also a 45-decibel one), guaranteed damage to aircraft electronics or guided munitions is possible at ranges of up to 12-14 kilometers, and serious violations in its operation are observed at a distance up to 40 km. Thus, with the correct detection and target designation, the "Knapsack-E" complex may well cover objects or troops on the march from a large number of existing types of guided weapons.
When a 50-decibel antenna is "fired", electromagnetic radiation is transmitted in a relatively narrow beam - about 15-20 degrees. In some cases, for example, when working on high-speed or maneuvering targets, another antenna, 45-decibel, is required. It has a slightly lower radiation power and, as a consequence, a smaller effective range. Guaranteed defeat of enemy electronics using this antenna is possible at ranges of no more than 8-10 kilometers. At the same time, this antenna has a much larger radiation angle: 60 °. Thus, depending on the tactical situation, you can use the most suitable antenna and hit existing targets.
As you can see, the "Ranets-E" complex is a kind of alternative to short-range anti-aircraft missile systems. In addition, he even has some advantage over them: after hitting a target, only the target itself falls to the ground, without the debris of the rocket. This can be useful when covering objects surrounded by buildings or similar conditions. In addition, it is enough for this "microwave gun" to know in which sector of space the enemy aircraft is located. Having enough fresh data on this score, "Knapsack-E" can fire a "volley" and destroy an enemy object. This can be useful when destroying aircraft created with the use of stealth technologies: it is enough for such an aircraft to appear on the radar screen a couple of times and with a high degree of probability it will fall into the range of the "Backpack-E".
However, despite all its advantages, the mobile microwave protection system "Ranets-E" was not put into service even more than ten years after the first demonstration. The fact is that, in addition to advantages, it also has disadvantages. So, the normal operation of the complex is possible only in conditions of direct visibility. Various objects of a natural and artificial nature located in the path of an electromagnetic pulse, if they do not shield it, then at least significantly weaken it. Moreover, even at distances over ten kilometers, the "beam" of radiation is dangerous to humans. The second drawback directly follows from the need for "direct fire". The relatively small radius of guaranteed destruction of the enemy's electronics can provoke him to use "smart" ammunition with a range of more than 15-20 kilometers, if any. Obviously, a massive strike by such missiles or bombs will make it relatively easy to destroy the covered objects along with the "Rantsy-E" itself - these "electromagnetic guns" may simply not be able to fire on all targets. Finally, comparatively long pauses must follow between the pulses of the highest possible power for recharging the radiation generator.
All these shortcomings of the "Backpack-E" system ultimately affected the fate of the project. In its current state, it is simply unprofitable for the military. At the same time, further development of the project may well bring it into an acceptable form. If further versions of the "Backpack-E" will have a longer range of guaranteed destruction, a shorter reload time and better opportunities for working at maximum power, then they will undoubtedly be able to break into the troops. And the commercial potential of such systems seems to be quite good, because it is a convenient and, most importantly, a cheap means against expensive and accurate "smart" weapons.
