The Air Force Research Lab is looking to take the next step in turning its CHAMP (Counter-Electronics High-Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project) into a fielded weapon, said AFRL chief Maj. Gen. Thomas Masiello. He spoke to reporters at a Pentagon science fair Thursday showing off various emerging technologies. In a successful 2012 test, a high power microwave emitter mounted in an AGM-86B CALCM cruise missile was able to fry all the electronics in a simulated command bunker. Now the AFRL effort is aimed at miniaturizing the HPM package to “be able to fit it into a JASSM-ER,” Masiello said. The JASSM-ER was a natural choice for the next step because “it’s fielded and compatible with a whole host of platforms,” Masiello said. Plus, “it’s more survivable” than the CALCM. The CHAMP package would be substituted for the kinetic warhead when mounted on a JASSM-ER, he said. The CHAMP demonstrator was put together by Boeing; the JASSM-ER is built by Lockheed Martin.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
