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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Warlock Curses Roadside Bombs |
| 2004-10-27 |
| October 27, 2004: The U.S. Army received 132 Warlock radio frequency jammers during the Summer. These $50,000 devices can jam all radio signals used to trigger roadside bombs, and other booby traps. The company that created Warlock, built on an earlier device, Shortstop, that jammed the radio signals used by many artillery and mortar shells, causing the shells to detonate prematurely. Warlock was so successful that the army wants another thousand of them. These will begin arriving next year. The widespread use of Warlock will force the ambushers to detonate their bombs via wire delivered signals. This will make the bombs harder to position, and the guy setting it off more vulnerable to getting caught, or killed. Warlock will not eliminate roadside bombs, but it will make them less effective. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #9 Jackal, both jammers (for convoys) and spoofers (to set off the bombs) are probably being used. For the dumb triggers, a powerful radio frequency sweep can set off bombs many miles away. For coded signals like car alarms and garage door openers, powerful transmitters at base camp can continuously sweep through all the codes. |
| Posted by: ed 2004-10-27 11:45:41 PM |
| #8 I dont think a 'dumb' trigger such as you describe would work either. Anyone walking by with a transmitter might trigger it during deployment. On the other hand I am not a demolitions expert. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-10-27 10:17:36 PM |
| #7 Might not take an EMP. Long wires make *excellent* antennas, which is why the "TURN OFF 2-WAY RADIO" signs near any blasting site. |
| Posted by: Old Grouch 2004-10-27 10:04:20 PM |
| #6 Need something for the wireline IEDs as well. Some sort of EMP generator? Probably too hazardous. |
| Posted by: V is for Victory 2004-10-27 5:54:25 PM |
| #5 I thought this was a by-product of the Zionist Death Ray |
| Posted by: Mac Suirtain 2004-10-27 4:59:54 PM |
| #4 "Can I get me an RF jammer here?" |
| Posted by: John Kerry 2004-10-27 4:58:01 PM |
| #3 Hmmmmm. I wonder how it works. Anything that needs a code, I can see how this would stop it. But I wonder if it would work against really "dumb" triggers. If you had, say, a 220 MHz receiver that simply detected a signal and went "boom." No sequencing or codes. In that case, would not the Warlock set the bomb off? If you are far enough away, that's good. If you are close by, that might be sub-optimal. Of course, if the Brave Freedom Fighters and Minutemen are simply using what they were allocated by Saddam, that's not an issue. But, if the French were to sell their "best allies" some newer simpler bombs... |
| Posted by: jackal 2004-10-27 4:50:01 PM |
| #2 Or Zionist Death Rays (TM)? |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-10-27 4:28:38 PM |
| #1 Wonder how well they work on radar guns? |
| Posted by: Don 2004-10-27 4:27:08 PM |