Home » Topics » Science and Technology » Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)
» Quotes on Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)
Print This!Print This!

Quotes on Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"America in peacetime has not traditionally given thought to military preparedness, given our highly efficient economy and its ability to respond quickly when a threat or attack arises. But EMP threatens to strip our economy of that ability, by rendering the infrastructure on which it relies impotent. In short, the attributes that make us a military and economic superpower without peer are also our potential Achilles' heel. In today's world, wracked by terrorists and their state sponsors, it must be asked: Might not the opportunity to exploit the essence of America's strength - the managed flow of electrons and all they make possible - in order to undo that strength prove irresistible to our foes? This line of thinking seems especially likely among our Islamofascist enemies, who disdain such man-made sources of power and the sorts of democratic, humane and secular societies which they help make possible."

Dr. William R. Graham et al.
Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack
EMP Commission
2004
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"It [an EMP] would require the Iranians to be able to produce a warhead as sophisticated as we expect the Russians or the Chinese to possess. But that is certainly attainable. Common sense would suggest that, absent food and water, the number of people who could die of deprivation and as a result of social breakdown might run well into the millions."

Brian T. Kennedy
What a Single Nuclear Warhead Could Do
The Wall Street Journal
November 24, 2004
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"American society has grown so dependent on computer and other electrical systems that we have created our own Achilles' heel of vulnerability, ironically much greater than those of other, less developed nations. When deprived of power, we are in many ways helpless, as the New York City blackout made clear. In that case, power was restored quickly because adjacent areas could provide help. But a large-scale burnout caused by a broad EMP attack would create a much more difficult situation. Not only would there be nobody nearby to help, it could take years to replace destroyed equipment."

Jon Kyl
Unready For This Attack
The Washington Post
April 16, 2005
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"If Osama bin Laden - or the dictators of North Korea or Iran - could destroy America as a twenty-first century society and superpower, would they be tempted to try? Given their track records and stated hostility to the United States, we have to operate on the assumption that they would. That assumption would be especially frightening if this destruction could be accomplished with a single attack involving just one relatively small-yield nuclear weapon - and if the nature of the attack would mean that its perpetrator might not be immediately or easily identified."

Frank J. Gaffney Jr.
EMP: America's Achilles Heel
Imprimis
Center for Security Policy
June 2005
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"As noted by the EMP Commission, a country with limited nuclear capabilities and few choices as to delivery platforms has only a few options to deliver a deadly blow. An EMP attack would be one such strategy."

Newt Gingrich
The Threat of the Current Regime in Iran
American Enterprise Institute
November 15, 2005
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

“Work is already underway today on creating unique high-precision weapons systems and manoeuvrable combat units that will have an unpredictable flight trajectory for the potential opponent. Along with the means for overcoming anti-missile defences that we already have, these new types of arms will enable us to maintain what is definitely one of the most important guarantees of lasting peace, namely, the strategic balance of forces.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin
Annual Address to the Federal Assembly
May 10, 2006
Library Topic
Library Topic: Post-1990 Russia
Library Topic: America and Iran
Library Topic: America and Transnational Terrorism
Library Topic: America's Adversaries
Library Topic: External Threats to America
Library Topic: Missile Defense

"Chinese strategist Chen Hu'an explains, 'The operational objectives of the two sides on attack and defense are neither the seizing of territory nor the killing of so many enemies, but rather the paralyzing of the other side's information system and the destruction of the other side's will to resist.'"

Michael Rubin
Asymmetrical Threat Concept and its Reflections on International Security
American Enterprise Institute
May 31, 2007
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"Although many in Congress and the White House tend to ignore the EMP threat, America's potential adversaries will not."

Jenna Baker McNeill
Richard Weitz Ph.D.
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack: A Preventable Homeland Security Catastrophe
The Heritage Foundation
October 20, 2008
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"A successful EMP attack could result in airplanes literally falling from the sky; vehicles could stop functioning, and water, sewer, and electrical net­works could all fail - all at once. Food would rot, health care would be reduced to its most rudimen­tary level, and there would not be any transporta­tion. Rule of law would become impossible to sustain; police departments would be overwhelmed."

Jenna Baker McNeill
Richard Weitz
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack: A Preventable Homeland Security Catastrophe
The Heritage Foundation
October 20, 2008
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"The electromagnetic pulse threat is a function of simple physics: Electromagnetic pulses and geomagnetic storms can alter Earth's magnetic field. Changing magnetic fields in the atmosphere, in turn, can trigger surging currents in power lines.

'It is a well-understood phenomenon,' says Butt, who this year reviewed geomagnetic and nuke blast worries in The Space Review.

Two historic incidents often figure in the discussion:

• On July 9, 1962, the Atomic Energy Commission and the Defense Atomic Support Agency detonated the Starfish Prime, a 1.4-megaton H-bomb test at an altitude of 250 miles, some 900 miles southwest of Hawaii over the Pacific Ocean. The pulse shorted out streetlights in Oahu.

• On March 9, 1989, the sun spat a million-mile-wide blast of high-temperature charged solar gas straight at the Earth. The 'coronal mass ejection' struck the planet three days later, triggering a geomagnetic storm that made the northern lights visible in Texas. The storm also induced currents in Quebec's power grid that knocked out power for 6 million people in Canada and the USA for at least nine hours."

Dan Vergano
One EMP burst and the world goes dark
USA Today
October 27, 2010
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)

"With an EMP, almost everything powered by electricity would effectively be wiped out - not physically, but practically. Such things would simply cease to work. ...

Sound like science fiction? It’s understandable that some people would think so, especially anyone who has seen the flashy EMP attacks dramatized in TV shows such as '24.' Unfortunately, it’s all too real. Why? Because an EMP isn’t an altogether new, high-tech weapon. It’s the same nuclear blast we’ve come to fear as a potential destroyer of our cities. It’s just used in an alternate way.

The difference: the location of the blast. In a conventional nuclear attack, the bomb is timed to explode close to the ground. The resulting radiation blast wreaks great physical damage. But with an EMP, the same kind of bomb is set to explode high in the air. When that happens, the blast doesn’t level a city, but it does knock out the power grid, leaving the residents who have come to depend on it largely helpless."

Edwin J. Feulner Ph.D
FEULNER:Countering an EMP attack
The Washington Times
December 12, 2011
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)
Library Topic
Library Topic: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)
Library Topic: External Threats to America

More About This Topic...

Click thumbnails below to view links

Quote Page

Commentary or Blog Post

"A website with close ties to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has outlined why it would be acceptable to kill all Jews and annihilate Israel."

"The creative urge that shook the earth 40 years ago with the detonation of the first atom bomb is today in the midst of a renaissance.

According to weapon scientists and Federal officials, new kinds of nuclear arms are being imagined, developed and exploded at a furious pace.

Recent progeny of the bomb reflect an evolution away from the brute force of a huge explosion toward...

"Think mother nature has dealt us her worst? Think again. Five natural disasters poised to hit the U.S. and like nothing we've ever seen."

"Experts say that concentrated cyber-attacks have the ability to cripple a nation's ability to defend itself and destroy its economy and national wealth. Here is a list of some large recent cyber attacks."

"Newt Gingrich, the Republican presidential hopeful, wants you to know that as commander in chief he is ready to confront one of the most nightmarish of doomsday scenarios: a nuclear blast high above the United States that would instantly throw the nation into a dark age.

In debates and speeches, interviews and a popular book, he is ringing alarm bells over what experts call the...

In light of the growing threat of an EMP attack, Ken Timmerman looks how the U.S. preparedness. While the population is becoming more informed on the issue, Timmerman notices that the government has remained rather silent. If an attack were to happen tomorrow, he says, the America will have few immediate responses. Weather or not you believe it to be the government's responsibility,...

"The most powerful solar flare in four years exploded over the sun late Monday, according to NASA.

The magnetic instability that caused the flare also unleashed a blast of charged particles that should hit Earth's atmosphere tonight, possibly sparking auroras farther south than usual, experts say."

"The biggest solar storm in five years is battering our planet right now, and may cause disruptions to satellites, power grids and communications networks over the next 24 hours, space weather experts say.

Two strong solar flares erupted from the surface of the sun late Tuesday (March 6), blasting a wave of plasma and charged particles toward Earth. After speeding through space at 4...

Instructions demonstrating how individuals can build their own electromagnetic pulse guns.

"In addition to other effects, a nuclear weapon detonated in or above the earth's atmosphere or alternatively an E-Bomb (see below) can create an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a high-density electrical field. EMP acts like a stroke of lightning but is stronger, faster and briefer. EMP can seriously damage electronic devices connected to power sources or antennas. This include[s] communication...

"Most Americans—whether members of the public or politicians in Congress—ignore or are unaware of the very real threat of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. A nuclear device detonated high in the atmosphere above the American mainland can easily disable the country’s electrical grid—shutting down nearly all communications, transportation, and service systems. Overnight, daily life as...

"America is totally unprepared for an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack that would set civilization back to the 1800s, Dr. William Graham, who was chairman of the bipartisan congressional Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from EMP Attack, tells Newsmax.

The blame rests with both Democrats and Republicans.

'It was a failure in the last administration; it’s a...

"The fact that an electromagnetic pulse is produced by a nuclear explosion was known since the very first days of nuclear weapons testing, but the magnitude of the EMP and the significance of its effects were not realized for some time.

During the first United States nuclear test in 1945, electronic equipment was shielded due to Enrico Fermi's expectation of an electromagnetic pulse...

"Enrico Fermi was born in Rome on 29th September, 1901, the son of Alberto Fermi, a Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Communications, and Ida de Gattis. He attended a local grammar school, and his early aptitude for mathematics and physics was recognized and encouraged by his father's colleagues, among them A. Amidei. In 1918, he won a fellowship of the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa. He...

"When Americans think about the threat from foreign missiles, it’s nearly always the catastrophic effect of a conventional nuclear blast that comes to mind. We think of the doomsday scenarios that have played out in many movies and TV shows: A nuke explodes over a large city - leveling buildings, crushing houses and creating a swath of destruction.

But that’s not the only threat that...

Although most people don't realize it, the Korean War never officially ended. It has been a legal ceasefire for the past 50 years. The public has been led to believe, however, that the war was, for all practical purposes, over.

"Create a small transient Electromagnetic Pulse Generator with high voltages using simple household objects, which can be potentially dangerous unless great care is exercised throughout."

"We are not prepared for an electromagnetic pulse attack. Iran is almost prepared to launch one."

"Pentagon estimates show that Iran could have missiles capable of reaching the East Coast of the United States by the year 2015.

If the Iranians acquire a nuclear bomb, they might be able to cripple their 'Great Satan' even sooner through an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, attack off America's coastline."

"Recent reports indicate Iran could have a nuclear bomb by 2015, if not earlier. What has been largely ignored is Iran’s ability to acquire an equally destructive device, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon. Clifford D. May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and I recently penned an article describing how Iran can achieve its destructive ends — 'a world without...

A speech and discussion with Mike Moore, author of Twilight War, in which he discusses United States' policy on space weaponry, and his hypothesis that we are heading for a second arms race, this time in space.

"North Korea announced plans Friday to blast a satellite into space on the back of a long-range rocket, a provocative move that could jeopardize a weeks-old agreement with the U.S. exchanging food aid for nuclear concessions."

With North Korea's massive military budget, its weapons development has far exceeded what many believed it was capable of. The rogue nation created its first nuclear weapon in 2006 and are now believed to possess the technology necessary for creating a massive EMP attack.

"A high-altitude nuclear detonation produces an immediate flux of gamma rays from the nuclear reactions within the device. These photons in turn produce high energy free electrons by Compton scattering at altitudes between (roughly) 20 and 40 km. These electrons are then trapped in the Earth's magnetic field, giving rise to an oscillating electric current. This current is asymmetric in general...

"The sky erupts. Cities darken, food spoils and homes fall silent. Civilization collapses.

End-of-the-world novel? A video game? Or could such a scenario loom in America's future?

There is talk of catastrophe ahead, depending on whom you believe, because of the threat of an electromagnetic pulse triggered by either a supersized solar storm or terrorist A-bomb, both capable of...

"Questions about the plausibility of an alleged special electromagnetic pulse nuclear weapon that could someday wipe out modern U.S. society by damaging or destroy its electrical system cannot be publicly addressed because the answers are classified, a U.S. expert said Wednesday."

"A nuclear bomb detonated high above the United States could unleash an electromagnetic pulse that would shut down the nation's power grid and, along with it, communications, water supplies and even food transportation.

If the effect is long-lasting enough, it also could trigger a social collapse that could conceivably cause the deaths of millions of people and, temporarily, push the...

"China's military is developing electromagnetic pulse weapons that Beijing plans to use against U.S. aircraft carriers in any future conflict over Taiwan, according to an intelligence report."

"Recently researchers announced that a storm is coming--the most intense solar maximum in fifty years. The prediction comes from a team led by Mausumi Dikpati of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). 'The next sunspot cycle will be 30% to 50% stronger than the previous one,' she says. If correct, the years ahead could produce a burst of solar activity second only to the historic...

"Defense strategists place their stakes on high-tech weapons. Nearly all superpowers of the world conduct their works in the development of such weapons. It transpired recently that Russian scientists developed a generator, the capacity of which is comparable to that of a nuclear unit. It is a genuine scientific breakthrough, and it is already clear that the defense industry will not be the...

"A top scientist today warned the House Armed Services Committee America remains vulnerable to a 'catastrophe' from a nuclear electromagnetic pulse attack that could be launched with plausible deniability by hostile rogue nations or terrorists.

William R. Graham, chairman of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack and the former...

"Did you know a solar flare can make your toilet stop working?

That's the surprising conclusion of a NASA-funded study by the National Academy of Sciences entitled Severe Space Weather Events—Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts. In the 132-page report, experts detailed what might happen to our modern, high-tech society in the event of a 'super solar flare' followed by an extreme...

"Whether you are for or against combat drones, they're here to stay. In fact, their use will only expand. You might be disturbed by this news, but that doesn't change the reality. Even if the United States and its allies stopped using and building drones, Pandora's Box has already been opened. Fifty other nations are now developing combat drones of their own. That's what happens with useful...

"A high-speed solar wind stream is buffeting Earth's magnetic field and causing geomagnetic storms around the Arctic Circle, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Geomagnetic storms occur when a strong gust of solar wind hits the Earth's magnetosphere and can cause Aurora in high-latitude parts of the Earth (mostly northern Michigan and Maine)."

"An army may still travel on its stomach, but a vital point of attack these days is the brain -- the electronic brain."

"With the way technology is rapidly increasing today, electromagnetic bombs (or e-bombs, as they are most commonly known) are becoming technically feasible, and are considered both a threat and a possible new way of warfare for the United States. But what are they? In this paper I will discuss what an e-bomb is, what it could do, and the effects of an e-bomb attack."

"A nuclear weapon explodes high above the US, unleashing a deadly electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that almost instantly knocks out much of our electrical grid. The electronic control systems in our water, oil, and gas distribution systems fail, and other infrastructure such as telecommunications and transport grind to a halt. While it would be far too high up in the atmosphere (40–400 kilometers)...

"What appears to be of particular concern to the EMP commission is the scepter of terrorist groups or so-called 'rogue' nations carrying out such an attack. As outlined by Dr. Pry, one of the commissioners, before a 2005 Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security, '[a] nuclear missile concealed in the hold of a freighter would give Iran, or terrorists, the capability to...

"Iran’s clerical leaders consider their country to be in a state of war with the United States—in fact, this has been the case since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Needless to say, the U.S. has never officially acknowledged being 'at war' with Iran—and has certainly never prosecuted regional operations in such a manner that could be classified as 'war' in the classical sense. Indeed, few—even...

"It will obliterate a target 100 miles away through sheer power using a bullet fired at eight times the speed of sound.

That is, if everything goes according to plan.

This supergun has been described as the most powerful in the world after tests at a U.S. Navy firing range."

"Following up on Newt Gingrich and his assessment of threats, I see that the New York Times has a William J. Broad front-pager on Gingrich's obsession with the possibility of adversaries using an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) against the United States...

I'm neither a security expert nor a rocket scientist. After reading Broad's article, the Space Review annalysis, the rebuttal to that...

"On the front page, Monday's New York Times provides a slanted and insidious 'news' item on Newt Gingrich's warnings about the danger of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons. The author of the piece, William Broad, clearly sought to convey the impression that the former House Speaker is scaremongering about a nonexistent, or at least much exaggerated, threat. This piece is seriously...

An attack by a single Iranian nuclear missile could have a catastrophic impact on the United States by causing an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) over a portion of the country.

President Ronald Reagan gave a famous speech where he outlined his plans for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). America faces another threat, one that requires Congress’s immediate attention: an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack.

"Electromagnetic pulse grenades are a favourite of sci-fi storytellers and videogame designers, a la Halo and Call of Duty. The US Army evidently doesn't want to be left out: it's seeking a real-life version that can blast electromagnetic signals and fry an opposition's bombs."

Although President George W. Bush has accomplished more in the way of missile defense than his predecessors -- including Ronald Reagan -- he will leave office with only a rudimentary system designed to stop a handful of North Korean missiles launched at our West Coast.

"Since the time of Trinity -- the first nuclear explosion in 1945 -- nearly 2,000 nuclear tests have been performed. Most of these occurred during the 1960s and 1970s. When the technology was new, tests were frequent and often spectacular, and they led to the development of newer, more deadly weapons. Since the 1990s, there have been efforts to limit the testing of nuclear weapons, including a...

Chart or Graph

Map showing the extent of the effects of an EMP blast as it relates to the height of the explosion.

A graph detailing the area affected by an EMP at differing heights.

"What if the May 1921 superstorm occurred today? A US map of vulnerable transformers with areas of probable system collapse encircled. A state-by-state map of transformer vulnerability is also available: click here. Credit: National Academy of Sciences."

"The project provided a platform for a nuclear device and measurement instrumentation at a pressure altitude of 85,000 feet (16-1/2 millibars) by means of a large plastic balloon. The original plan called for a development program based on a pay load of 600 pounds and a floating altitude of approximately 90,000 feet. The actual weight was increased in small increments to a final weight of 761....

"This brings us to the type of EMP weapons that we are concerned about today. It has been speculated that the United States possesses these types of EMP weapons. Their research has involved high power microwaves (HPMs). Reporters have even stated that these types of weapons exist and could be used in the war with Iraq.

Most likely, these HPM e-bombs aren’t really bombs at all. They are...

"In a typical coaxial FCG , a cylindrical copper tube forms the armature. This tube is filled with a fast high energy explosive. A number of explosive types have been used, ranging from B and C-type compositions to machined blocks of PBX-9501. The armature is surrounded by a helical coil of heavy wire, typically copper, which forms the FCG stator. The stator winding is in some designs split...

"The final major component of EMP is a subsequent, slower-rising, longer-duration pulse that creates disruptive currents in long electricity transmission lines, resulting in damage to electrical supply and distribution systems connected to such lines (Figure 3). The sequence of E1, E2, and then E3 components of EMP is important because each can cause damage, and the later damage can be...

"Gamma rays from a high-altitude nuclear detonation interact with the atmosphere to produce a radio-frequency wave of unique, spatially varying intensity that covers everything within line-of-sight of the explosion’s center point. It is useful to focus on three major EMP components. ...

The first component is a free-field energy pulse with a rise-time measured in the range of a fraction...

This chart provides an overview of the types and ranges of missiles Iran possesses.

Moms and members of Gen-Y were given the following information on EMP's and asked to give their opinion on the likelihood of it occurring.

After asking a group of Moms and Gen-Y members about the likelihood of an EMP attack, this question asked survey participants to give a specific reason why they thought an EMP attack could occur.

"Illustration above is from the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency about the E1 component of nuclear electromagnetic pulse. The source region is the region of the upper atmosphere where gamma radiation from the weapon knocks out electrons from atoms in the atmosphere, which travel in a generally downward direction at roughly 94 percent of the speed of light, and are acted upon by...

"Scenario showing effects of a 4800 nT/min geomagnetic field disturbance at 50° geomagnetic latitude scenario. The regions outlined are susceptible to system collapse due to the effects of the GIC disturbance; the impacts would be of unprecedented scale and involve populations in excess of 130 million."

When a survey group consisting of Moms and individuals from Gen-Y was asked about their greatest national security concern, America's dependency on foreign oil was one of the highest.

Analysis Report White Paper

Because the most likely vehicles for delivering such a nuclear device above the atmosphere are ballistic missiles, the most prudent method of protecting America from EMP attacks would be a missile defense system that could destroy a ballistic missile before it reaches U.S. airspace.

While, in general terms, the asymmetrical threat concept describes how the weak might battle the strong, discussions diverge when discussing asymmetrical threats from states versus those posed by non-state actors.

"An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) over the United States could end modern life in America overnight. Whether caused by an enemy attack (a nuclear device detonated above the atmosphere) or by a natural phenomenon (a geomagnetic storm), an EMP can cause entire regions of the country to lose electricity—permanently. Despite the EMP Commission’s recommendations in 2004 and 2008, hardly any progress...

Presentation outlining the effects and potential origins of an EMP attack.

"On April 8, a front page article was published in the Wall Street Journal on the dangers posed by cyberspies to the U.S. electrical grid. According to senior intelligence officers who spoke with the Journal, 'Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system.' No action has been taken so far to disrupt the electrical...

This article describes the potential disaster that could take place if an EMP were to hit the United States. The authors describe how it would not be that difficult for rogue terrorist states to acquire the technology, as it is not that expensive or complex.

"The nation’s power grid is vulnerable to the effects of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a sudden burst of electromagnetic radiation resulting from a natural or man-made event. EMP events occur with little or no warning and can have catastrophic effects, including causing outages to major portions of the U.S. power grid possibly lasting for months or longer. Naturally occurring EMPs are...

In this paper, Mr. Gaffney summarizes the conclusions reached by the Commission to Address the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack. He describes how an EMP attack might take place, what sort of effect it would have, and what America can do to protect itself from such an attack.

"We now live in a world that is so completely immersed in advanced technology that we depend upon it for our very survival. Most of the actions that we depend upon for our everyday activities -- from flipping a switch to make the lights come on to obtaining all of our food supplies at a nearby supermarket -- are things that any individual from a century ago would consider magic.

Very...

An extensive overview of the history of EMP testing and United States policy, taking references from the EMP commission report, Russian testing etc.

The vulnerabilities of both civilian and military electrical devices are in need of improved protection against a potential EMP attack.

"The preservation of the electric grid is central to the defense of the United States. To assess the state of preparedness of the United States in the event of the loss of critical infrastructure, especially of electrical and communications infrastructure, the Center of Strategic Leadership at the U.S. Army War College conducted a three day workshop which assembled a body of subject matter...

"Over the past decade, governments have collaborated on reforming disaster management approaches. On 6 November 2008, the Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management—Emergency Management agreed that the future direction for Australian emergency management should be based on achieving community and organisational resilience. To build on this work, on 7 December 2009...

"The topic of nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is very mysterious to most people, and it is quite commonly misunderstood. It is also the subject of a large amount of misinformation. (It is a persistent problem that many people want to ignore the science and make it into a political issue.) There are many additional EMP pages on this site, including separate pages on EMP personal protection...

"This paper describes what an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is and how a nuclear weapon creates a HEMP. Next, a brief description of the effect of a HEMP attack on electrical and electronic systems is followed by an overview of the implications of the failure of these systems on the nation’s critical infrastructure and elements of national power. A discussion of the risks of such an attack...

This report presents the results of the Commission’s assessment of the effects of a high altitude electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on our critical national infrastructures and provides recommendations for their mitigation.

"Several potential adversaries have or can acquire the capability to attack the United States with a high-altitude nuclear weapon-generated electromagnetic pulse (EMP). A determined adversary can achieve an EMP attack capability without having a high level of sophistication.

EMP is one of a small number of threats that can hold our society at risk of catastrophic consequences. EMP will...

"Modern society depends heavily on a variety of technologies that are susceptible to the extremes of space weather—severe disturbances of the upper atmosphere and of the near-Earth space environment that are driven by the magnetic activity of the Sun. Strong auroral currents can disrupt and damage modern electric power grids and may contribute to the corrosion of oil and gas pipelines....

National security must be one component of total U.S. space policy, but it must certainly not be the primary component.

This report provides a variety of charts and statistics gleaned from a survey of Moms and individuals from Generation Y. The research gives a glimpse into some of the deepest concerns American citizens are facing in 2011, including the economy and national security.

Space warfare will be an integrated part of battle planning by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in any future conflict.

"High Power Electromagnetic Pulse generation techniques and High Power Microwave technology have matured to the point where practical E-bombs (Electromagnetic bombs) are becoming technically feasible, with new applications in both Strategic and Tactical Information Warfare. The development of conventional E-bomb devices allows their use in non-nuclear confrontations. This paper discusses...

This paper discusses aspects of the technology base, weapon delivery techniques and proposes a doctrinal foundation for the use of such devices in warhead and bomb applications.

"National security experts have known about electromagnetic pulse (EMP) for decades, at least since the atomic bombs were used at the end of World War II. During the Cold War, we thought about it primarily in terms of ensuring the credibility of our nuclear deterrent, so we hardened a large number of our military systems in order to operate in a nuclear environment.

Since the Cold War,...

"A known and cataclysmic threat to the U.S. electric power grid is being largely ignored by the President and Congress. Warning events in 1859, 1921, 1989, and 2003 showed the danger that solar activity can pose to electrical power and distribution systems. Now as we move into another solar maximum, with increased vulnerabilities built into our electrical grid, the danger again looms large. In...

Video/Podcast/Media

"STARFISH PRIME, was one of the high-altitude nuclear tests in the Operation Fishbowl series conducted in the Pacific Proving Ground in 1962. It was launched in the Johnston Island area to an altitude of about 400 kilometers by a Thor rocket and had a yield of 1.4 megatons.

The test evaluated the capabilities of an antiballistic missile to operate in a nuclear environment and the...

"Explorer investigates the science behind the dangers of a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse, or HEMP."

This video provides a variety of common sense preparations and solutions that can be implemented by the U.S. in the event of an EMP attack.

Dr. James Carafano, National Security Analyst, discusses the very real risk of an EMP attack on the United States and the devastating consequences it would cause in a segment from 33 Minutes.

"Joe Hicks brings you the startling facts relating to the possible development of EMP weapons by North Korea and Iran. A single electromagnetic pulse could disable the entire United States, destroy America's critical infrastructure and reduce the US to a state of starvation and anarchy overnight. If you think this sounds like science fiction, then watch this Joe Hicks report and find out why...

"Second part of FutureWeapons Series 1 story about the threat of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse weapon."

This video features a panel of young people who discuss their reaction to the possibility of an EMP attack.

"Step inside the eye of a solar storm and the measures scientists take to predict them."

What might it be able to do to Earth and is the U.S. prepared?

This video shows the reactions of young moms to a presentation on the negative effects an EMP attack could have on America.

Explore what could happen when a high altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) occurs and cripples our electrical grid.

This video shows a nuclear warhead detonating above the earth's atmosphere.

A graphic, disturbing film about the effects of a devastating nuclear holocaust on small-town residents of eastern Kansas.

Primary Document

"Various types of explosive flux compression generators are illustrated and their relative advantages are compared. Experiments are described in which energy was supplied by these generators. The experiments were selected to show both versatility and limitations of the devices. Generator principles are derived from lumped parameter circuit theory."

The appropriate response to the EMP threat is a balance of prevention, planning, training, maintaining situational awareness, protection, and preparations for recovery.

It concludes that the United States is at risk of a 'Space Pearl Harbor' and should update defense systems and deterrence capabilities to adapt to this new type of warfare.

This report presents the results of the Commission's assessment of the effects of a high altitude electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on our critical national infrastructures and provides recommendations for their mitigation.

The head of EMP Commission gave this speech before congress, warning that the threat of an EMP attack is higher than during the Cold War, and the potential catastrophe worsens every year as we grow more dependent on technology.

"(a) In General- The Director of National Intelligence shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report--
(1) on the research, development, testing, and deployment programs of foreign countries relating to--
(A) electromagnetic pulse weapons;
(B) delivery systems for EMP weapons; and
(C) platforms for carrying EMP weapons delivery systems; and
(2...

"NASA's five THEMIS spacecraft have discovered a breach in Earth's magnetic field ten times larger than anything previously thought to exist. Solar wind can flow in through the opening to 'load up' the magnetosphere for powerful geomagnetic storms. But the breach itself is not the biggest surprise. Researchers are even more amazed at the strange and unexpected way it forms, overturning long-...

"Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) is an instantaneous, intense energy field that can overload or disrupt at a distance numerous electrical systems and high technology microcircuits, which are especially sensitive to power surges. A large scale EMP effect can be produced by a single nuclear explosion detonated high in the atmosphere. This method is referred to as High-Altitude EMP (HEMP). A similar...

"(a) Requirements- The Secretary shall--
(1) by not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, establish requirements for how basic and applied homeland security research shall be identified, prioritized, funded, tasked, and evaluated by the Directorate of Science and Technology, including the roles and responsibilities of the Under Secretary for Science and...

North Korea's major motive appears to be to escalate pressure on the Bush Administration to negotiate a nuclear agreement that would provide new U.S. political and economic benefits to North Korea, starting with Pyongyang's proposed non-aggression pact.

It "provides the basic framework on international space law." The launching of a HEMP into Outer Space would violate this treaty.

The United States must not permit an EMP attack to defeat its capability to prevail. It is not practical to protect all of the tactical forces of the US and its coalition partners from EMP in a regional conflict.

"Our hearing today is on 'Terrorism and the EMP Threat to Homeland Security.' Let me indicate that conflicts of interest keep some of my colleagues from being here right now, though several indicated that they were going to try to stop by. The record of the hearing, of course, will be very important. Unfortunately, a conference of Republicans was called, there is a vote going on right now, and...

"A BILL To amend the Federal Power Act to protect the bulk-power system and electric infrastructure critical to the defense and well-being of the United States against natural and manmade electromagnetic pulse ('EMP') threats and vulnerabilities."

"The subcommittee is meeting here today to explore in more detail EMP effects on our military systems and the civilian infrastructure, how confident we are that we can predict these effects, our potential vulnerabilities, what policies and practices guide our efforts to protect our systems, and the steps we have taken and can take to ameliorate these vulnerabilities.

EMP can be...

Study conducted researching the potential threat of an attack on US information systems and computer technology via Anti-Satellite (ASAT) weapons.

"Recently a Senate Judiciary subcommittee of which I am chairman held a hearing on a major threat to the American people, one that could come not only from terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda but from rogue nations such as Iran and North Korea.

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on the American homeland, said one of the distinguished scientists who testified at the hearing, is...

Books

FAQs

Is the threat of an EMP a legitimate concern? What kind of infrastructural damage is an EMP capable of? How long would the consequences of such an attack last? All these questions and more will be answered in this FAQ.

Link

Related Content