For the task force commander, the DEW battlefield is here now. It exists in the form of threat weapons that he must be prepared to face today and in the form of our own DEW systems, many of which are already being tested in prototype form. Commanders, S2s, and S3s must understand the nature of the DEW threat and how to defend against it, or it may become an enemy combat multiplier of enormous impact. Conventional weapons rely on chemical or kinetic energy in the form of a projectile.
DEWs rely on subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that impact at or near the speed of light.
A DEW gunner need not lead a target, and resupply of ammunition is never a problem. Microwave energy also can cause electrically fuzed munitions to become duds or to detonate. This effect depends on the power output of the weapon and the distance to the target. The only reliable protection for emitters is completely encasing susceptible equipment in a heavy gauge metal shielding or surrounding it with special metal screening. Burying or covering equipment with sandbags or other nonmetallic materials will not provide adequate protection.