Perspectives on Directed Energy Microwaves After the First 50 Years

The field of high power microwaves (HPM), today more appropriately termed directed energy microwaves (DE microwaves), emerged following the advent of modern pulsed power in the mid-to-late 1960s. For the first 20 years, this was a cold war competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. Following the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the first cold war in 1991, this field became more international. Today, research in DE microwaves has expanded to Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Asia, with China being the most prolific player in the world. This paper provides a perspective and geopolitical context on where this field is today and where it may be going in the future.