DATE=5/4/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43306
TITLE= NATO / NEW WEAPON
BYLINE= ANDRE DE NESNERA
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO: NATO HAS USED A HERETOFORE SECRET BOMB TO ATTACK
YUGOSLAVIA'S ELECTRICAL POWER GRID. FROM WASHINGTON, NATIONAL
SECURITY CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE NESNERA REPORTS ON THIS NEW
WEAPON IN NATO'S ARSENAL.

TEXT: NATO WARPLANES HAVE BEEN POUNDING YUGOSLAV MILITARY
TARGETS FOR MORE THAN 40 DAYS NOW WITH NO SIGNS OF ANY END TO
THE AIR STRIKES.

NATO HAS TARGETED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS, LINES OF COMMUNICATIONS --
INCLUDING BRIDGES, COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTERS, SERB TROOPS AS
WELL AS PARAMILITARY FORCES.

BUT NATO HAS ALSO BROADENED THE SCOPE OF ITS AIR CAMPAIGN TO
INCLUDE YUGOSLAVIA'S ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM. AND WHEN A FEW DAYS
AGO NATO BOMBERS HIT SWITCHING STATIONS CAUSING POWER OUTAGES
THROUGHOUT YUGOSLAVIA, THE WESTERN ALLIANCE LIFTED A VEIL ON A
SECRET WEAPON -- THE CARBON, OR GRAPHITE BOMB.

NATO AND PENTAGON OFFICIALS HAVE REFUSED TO COMMENT ON THE
WEAPON. SENIOR PENTAGON SPOKESMAN KEN BACON TOLD REPORTERS THE
WEAPON IS HIGHLY CLASSIFIED.

// BACON ACT //

LOOK. WE HAVE CERTAIN WEAPONS WE DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS
APPROPRIATE TO TALK ABOUT -- AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM.

// END ACT //

HOWEVER JOHN PIKE -- MILITARY TECHNOLOGIES EXPERT AT THE
"FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS" -- SAYS THE CARBON BOMB IS
SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO CAUSE SHORT CIRCUITS IN THE SWITCHING
STATIONS THAT CONNECT POWER LINES TO THE REST OF THE ELECTRICAL
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

// PIKE ACT //

BASICALLY AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT IS A WARHEAD ON A
CRUISE MISSILE THAT WHEN IT GETS OVER THE SWITCHING
STATION, THE WARHEAD DETONATES AND SENDS OUT A LARGE
CLOUD OF CARBON FILAMENTS THAT SINK ONTO THE
DISTRIBUTION HARDWARE CAUSING SHORT CIRCUITS. THIS IS
BASICALLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU STUCK A SCREWDRIVER
INTO AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE : IT WOULD BURN OUT THE
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE BUT IT WOULD ALSO CAUSE A POWER
SURGE THAT WOULD SHUT DOWN THE REST OF THE ELECTRICITY
IN YOUR HOUSE. SO THEY HAVE NOT ONLY BURNED OUT SOME
CRITICAL EQUIPMENT AT THE SWITCHING STATION, BUT THEY
CAUSED A POWER SURGE ALL ACROSS THE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
THAT CAUSED A BLACKOUT OVER MOST OF THE COUNTRY.

// END ACT //

NATO OFFICIALS SAY THE RECENT ATTACK ON YUGOSLAVIA'S POWER
TRANSFORMERS TEMPORARILY SHUT OFF ELECTRICITY TO 70 PERCENT OF
THE COUNTRY.

MR. PIKE SAYS THE CARBON BOMB IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF A WEAPON
USED EARLIER THIS DECADE.

// SECOND PIKE ACT //

A SIMILAR WARHEAD WAS USED AGAINST IRAQ IN "OPERATION
DESERT STORM" BACK IN EARLY 1991. THAT SYSTEM USED METAL
FOILS - STRIPS OF METAL FOIL. THIS IS APPARENTLY AN
IMPROVED WARHEAD THAT USES GRAPHITE FILAMENTS. THE
GRAPHITE FILAMENTS ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU A BETTER
COVERAGE OF THE AREA TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE SHORTING OUT
AN AWFUL LOT OF SWITCHING EQUIPMENT AND TO MAKE SURE
THAT THOSE FILAMENTS DO NOT JUST GET BLOWN AWAY BY THE
WIND.

// END ACT //

MR. PIKE SAYS ELECTRICAL SWITCHING STATIONS ARE EASY TARGETS,
SINCE THEY ARE LOCATED OUT IN THE OPEN. HE SAYS THEY GENERATE A
LOT OF HEAT AND NEED A LOT OF CIRCULATING NATURAL AIR TO COOL
DOWN.

AT THE SAME TIME, HE SAYS IT IS QUITE EASY TO DEFEND AGAINST A
CARBON BOMB.

// THIRD PIKE ACT //

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH A WEAPON LIKE THIS IS THAT
THERE IS A FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY OF DEFEATING IT.
IF AN ADVERSARY SIMPLY PUTS A ROOF OVER THESE SWITCHING
STATIONS -- WHICH NORMALLY IS NOT DONE -- IT WOULD BE
A LOT MORE DIFFICULT TO ATTACK THEM IN THIS WAY.

// END ACT //

JOHN PIKE FROM THE "FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS" SAYS IT IS
DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW NATO CAN COME UP WITH ANOTHER TYPE OF WEAPON
THAT CAN BE SO SPECIFICALLY TARGETED AGAINST ONE SYSTEM. BUT HE
ALSO SAYS: "NATO MAY HAVE SOME OTHER TRICKS IT HAS NOT YET
SHOWN US." (SIGNED)

NEB/ADEN/JO


04-May-99 11:35 AM EDT (1535 UTC)
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