Elektronika in die diens van 'n land en sy verdediging
educational resource
posted on 2024-11-18, 13:32authored byInaugural addresses
Inaugural lecture--Department of Electrical Engineering, Rand Afrikaans University, 18 September 1974@@Today's industry and communications systems, in fact modern life as we know it, could come to a standstill without electronics. The defensive system of a country would be affected similarly, as can be illustrated by citing examples of the use made of electronics in modern defence.
Wireless communication receivers of the synthesizer type permit rapid tuning to a transmitter station and are particularly useful for electronic intelligence. They are, however, complex, consisting of numerous components. The application of microcircuits, especially monolithic integrated circuits, makes it possible to construct small compact and reliable equipment, whilst thin film microcircuits can best be used for high-frequency and highspeed requirements. In the design of more deadly artillery shells, use is made of the Doppler effect, whilst new radar equipment is improved by ultrasonic surface wave devices. Modern warfare necessitates frequent replacement of electronic
equipment, the cost of which may exceed that of the rest of the aircraft or ship. A modern war may be won or lost in industrial laboratories. Co-operation between electrical engineers and physicists is essential. The ultimate factor in modern warfare still remains the determination of its soldiers to defend their country and to accept the sacrifices necessary.