Federal Aviation Administration Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Protection Study: A Reexamination and Update,
Abstract
In 1972, a study was performed to assess the susceptibility of the FAA system to the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) phenomenon. The purpose of the present investigation is to update the previous study by incorporating existing and newly published results of EMP and its effect on new equipment. The particular EMP model which has been used is based upon the environment anticipated for a typical high altitude nuclear burst. Our method of susceptibility assessment of the system has been to determine the effectiveness of protection at each of the various types of facilities in the FAA system. These have included the control centers and supporting computer, the remote radars, short range radars, RCAG sites, the remote microwave relay sites (RML), control towers, RVR, Instrument Landing Systems, IFR rooms and related computers (ARTS III), runway and approach light systems. No effort was made to determine the susceptibility of the AT&T long lines system which supports the communications and radar data functions. At least one of each of these types of FAA facilities has been analyzed to determine effectiveness of existing building shielding (including nonconductive penetrations), the adequacy of protective devices on conductive penetrations, the adequacy of the grounding system, and the susceptibility of existing equipment to the EMP environment. The EMP threat is actually a subset of the total Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) problem which can be overviewed as shown here.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA083072
Entities
People
- Chin-lin Chen
- Warren D. Peele
Organizations
- Rome Laboratory