Can Electronic Circuitry with Micro Vacuum
Tubes Survive a Nuclear Attack?
Clinton E. Crackel
June 3, 2023
In 1976, when I was teaching disaster preparedness support teams and shelter management teams in the military, a Soviet pilot defected to Japan in a then-state-ofthe-art MIG-25 Foxbat. As the aircraft was being inspected, it was noted that vacuum tubes were used as integral components of the aircraft’s electronic circuitry,
When asked about the use of such seemingly antiquated technology in a electromagnetic pulse (EMP) environment while our aircraft, using advanced solid-state circuits, would
not be able to operate in such an environment. In such a capacity, the vacuum tubes were able to preserve the operability of the electronics.
It has long been known that the quickest way to shut down a nation’s energy, water, communications and transportation infrastructure is to detonate a nuclear weapon at a high altitude to emit prompt, electromagnetic radiation of sufficient strength to electronic circuits used to monitor and control such systems, even medical care facilities, home circuit breakers and pacemakers can be affected by EMP. Now it appears, we are getting closer to an actual nuclear attack occurring against our country since the Cold War period. It has even been reported that Iran has recently achieved a 93% enrichment of uranium-235, with weapons grade enrichment being 20% and higher.
Today’s answer to protecting our critical circuits from EMP is the use of Faraday cages. Such devices can be expensive, cumbersome, and impractical for the individual user of equipment utilizing electronic circuits, such as in the home. Granted, the individual user of small, digital electronic equipment can use a microwave oven as a Faraday cage. However, due to the advent of hypersonic delivery systems for nuclear weapons, there may not be enough advanced warning to put such electronics in a microwave oven.
I have long been a proponent of the use of micro vacuum tube technology in lieu of Faraday cages, as a much more cost-effective, practical form of protecting electrical circuits. After all, if vacuum tubes were so effective during the onset of the Cold War, why can’t they be of value again?
Vacuum tubes were replaced by transistors because of cost and reliability in terms of duration of service. However, the use of micro vacuum tube technology is being studied as a means of providing modern circuitry protection against prompt surges of electromagnetic radiation because of the inherent weaknesses of transistors to provide such protection.
On the other hand, why pay $4 - $6 for a micro vacuum tube to replace a transistor in an electronic component when you can buy a room-size, metal Faraday cage, completely grounded, for perhaps a few thousand dollars to do the same? Even Faraday bags for shielding small electric components are relatively expensive.
The major drawback to the vacuum tube market is that most vacuum tubes are manufactured in Russia and China. On the other hand, there are several Faraday cage manufacturers in the USA.
No doubt the Faraday cage manufacturers have a powerful lobby with the ability to invest extensive amounts of time, effort, and money to convince key public and private officials to promote their products. The renewable energy industry continues to be successful by doing the same thing to promote marginally efficient electric energy generation sources.
Unfortunately, according to some industry experts, Faraday cages aren’t that effective in protecting electronic circuits against the devastating effects of EMP versus what could possibly be achieved by using micro vacuum tube technology.
