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Q: What’s been the reaction to the test?

A: Boeing CHAMP program manager Keith Coleman was elated. “Today we made science fiction science fact,” he said. “This technology marks a new era in modern-day warfare.” Norman Friedman, a defence analyst and former deputy director of National Security Studies at the Hudson Institute, said, “It’s a very attractive idea. It’s a non-lethal weapon that could be extremely effective.”

Q: Why is it so important at this time?

A: The deployment of unmanned drones, not boots on the ground, has become a cornerstone of U.S. President Barack Obama’s foreign policy. Better targeting of enemy sites may also help restore faith in overseas Western intervention, long viewed negatively by populations of Pakistan, the Arab world and other Muslim countries.

Q: Outside the kitchen, just how effective are microwaves?

A: Some experts are sceptical of the CHAMP missile’s effectiveness. “The claim was that it was used once and the lights went out in one area. That doesn’t prove a lot,” Mr. Friedman said. He also expressed reservations about the area and distance over which the CHAMP may effectively operate. “Furthermore, if you’re in contact with enemy forces through backchannels or diplomacy, then you lose this channel if this technology is deployed.” Ben Goodlad, a senior analyst and missiles specialist at IHS Jane’s, says no military has committed to buying the weapon at this stage, and all funding has so far been for research and development.