Hold on to your power converters folks. We won't be seeing military vehicles unharmed by missiles and bullets as they lay waste to enemies anytime soon, but according to Popular Science, Boeing has got some sound research on a defensive system that can be adapted to air, ground and sea units, as well as military and civilian structures.....and they've been awarded the patent to build this device.
Just to clarify, it won't shield units from direct fire and shrapnel, but it will provide an extra layer of protection against an indirect blast such as a nearby explosion from IED's, Air to Air, Air to Ground, and/or anti ship/submarine ordinance by deflecting and absorbing the shock waves created by the blast
Let me break it down for you.
Say you're in a Humvee on patrol in a hot spot and you miss an IED. The system mounted on the vehicle detects the blast via sensors and estimates distance and time from detonation. Then, using microwaves it super heats the air between the IED and your ride, creating a plasma shield that provides additional protection against the shock wave from the explosion. The system would work the same way in detecting incoming missile or mortar fire by calculating the point of impact, provided it's not a direct hit. That extra layer could mean the difference between the Humvee flipping on it's side from the force of the explosion, or just lurching up and down as if you just ran over a dead deer in the road.
Depending on the magnitude of the blast, the shield strength would fluctuate to provide maximum deflection.
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| Visual Diagram |
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| Component Diagram |
Here is a brief video explaining the technology as well.
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