“HERF”

In my December 2014 post to Quantum Corps Times, I made this statement about Quantum Corps weapons:

All Detachments carry High-Energy Radio Frequency weapons which are particularly effective against enemy swarms.  Known as HERF, these radio frequency weapons degrade, disperse and destroy enemy swarms by slamming the bot clouds with waves of rf energy.  Although it has often been said that the best defense against a swarm is another swarm, HERF can make quick work of enemy swarms by punching holes in their formations.  HERF guns come in a variety of sizes, are battery or power cell operated and thus must be re-charged.  They are operated by the DPS ratings in the Detachment (Defense and Protective Systems specialists).

 

HERF sounds like someone’s name but it’s a critical piece of mission gear for nanotroopers.  Let’s look more closely at this weapon.

Parts and Components

1. Generator/capacitor bank – HERF weapons have to generate waveforms and inject a lot of energy into these waveforms.  The output of a HERF device is radio-frequency waves, with a lot of power behind them.
2. Converter-coupler – the converter takes the raw output of the generator and changes it into proper waveforms for coupling onto target.  HERF weapons are somewhat selectable in their effects (more on this later).  Coupling onto the target means the waveform and effect selected is designed to achieve what you want to achieve…usually shattering a formation of nanobots into French fries.
3. Beam Focuser-Collimator – any pulse of EM radiation needs to be focused, so as to put maximum energy on the target.  Moreover, environmental effects can attenuate that energy.  The BFC does what its name suggests…shapes the waveform into a fist that can punch through any environment and deliver a knockout blow.
4. Sighting Scopes – HERF weapons are often used against swarms.  How do you sight on a swarm of nanobot elements…things you can’t see?  You sight for the effects such bots have on their surroundings: thermal effects, acoustic effects, electromagnetic effects, evidence of a hell of lot of atomic bond breaking.  Swarms grab atoms to maintain structure.  The Sighting System looks for these effects.  The atomgrabber with a HERF carbine can select any of these modes for sighting. 
5. Trigger assembly – this is payoff part.  The trigger assembly discharges the waveform, with maximum power behind it, properly targeted on the objective.  The beam focuser works with the trigger assembly to generate wide-area (spray) effects, narrow-field effects, and anything in between.  And like Star Trek phasers, you can set the thing on stun.
6. Power cell – the HERF power cell is a small turbine that works off infinitesimal chunks of periodic-table elements like americium…in other words, through decay of radioisotope material and the heat given off from that decay.  The generator-capacitor has thermocouples that take this heat and concentrates it for burst mode and to make sure the power cell can deliver the punch needed to generate and let fly rf waves to shatter nanobot swarms. 
7. Sensor mast – every HERF weapon has a sensor mast for detecting and homing on the bad guys and also alerting and providing caution and warning indications to the trooper about weapon status and the environment around it.  The sensor mast looks for acoustic, thermal and EM effects that show nanobotic activity is near.  It also operates as a guidance system to home the weapon to achieve maximum effect on the target, according to the effects mode selected by the trooper.
    
   Basic Operation

1. Auto beam – automatic discharge with selected effects and intensity; normal mode of operation; can be triggered by sensor indications
2. Single pulse – single discharge, again selectable
3. Multi pulse – multiple discharges, up to 20 sequential bursts in any selectable effect or intensity
4. Stun field / active denial – waveforms shaped for non-lethal discharge, selectable up to “render unconscious”.  Available in auto, single or multiple burst.
5. Heat effects / thermoblast – waveform and power selected for primarily heat or thermal coupling onto target.  Enough energy deposited to create catastrophic damage
6. Visual burst / starburst – waveform selected to damage optics, or blind human targets.  Extremely bright burst mode, selectable in intensity, up to “permanent damage to visual field,” or “optical burnout.”
    
   Limitations

1. Blooming – plasma breakdown in atmosphere can cause HERF wavefront to de-focus and disperse energy into the atmosphere.
2. Beam dispersal due to evaporated material at the target – creates an ablation cloud.  Measures to defeat include inducing a shock wave to create shock effects in the target and oscillating the wave frequency to work against the ablation cloud.
3. Absorption – atmospheric effects can attenuate beam energy and power
4. Lack of Indirect Fire – HERF is mainly line of sight, so targets not in the line of sight are difficult to hit or effect.
5. Countermeasures (coatings, active dispersal, etc) – Coatings and active dispersal techniques can blunt or attenuate wavefront effects.
6. It’s an area weapon – HERF is best used against a target that spans an area of square meters or larger, i.e., large swarms.  Not particularly useful for precision fire or effects. 
    
    
   Tactics

1. Anti-swarm measures (frontal vs envelopment vs barrage assault) – HERF tactics can be employed in a variety of assault configurations.  These include frontal (slam ‘em head-on), envelopment (a flanking maneuver coming from either or both sides) and barrage (throw everything at a swarm, cease fire, then do it again…shock frequency can make it difficult for a swarm to reconstitute).
2. Can be used like artillery to prepare the battlefield – HERF barrages can be used to ‘carpet-bomb’ a battlefield ahead of an operation, to sanitize the zone of any swarms that may be lurking or masquerading as other structures
3. Delayed burst – tactical situations sometimes require this to draw out swarms hiding or masquerading or in concealed locations.  Delay time is selectable, usually up to several days.
4. Reflection versus direct shots – HERF is a line of sight weapon but with reflecting shields, can be made to turn corners and smash targets not in LOS.  The reflectors have to be installed or emplaced ahead of time, possibly only moments ahead.
5. Diversions, feints and concealments – HERF can be used to feint an attack along one vector, to draw an enemy out, then turned to concentrate fire in another direction.  HERF can be used as part of a diversionary attack, to draw swarms away from the real axis of attack, though this is rare.
    
   These are just some of the details regarding High Energy Radio Frequency weapons. No nanotrooper squad would ever go into action without these weapons.  They are an essential piece of equipment for surviving and winning on the new battlefield of atoms and molecules and nanobotic swarms. 
    
   The next post, on June 1, will cover what it takes to build or regenerate an ANAD system.
    
   See you in June.   PB