You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Home Front: Tech
US (and everybody else) vulnerable to EMP attack
2004-07-28
Posted by:Super Hose

#2  Most Americans vulnerable to fireball effect too.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-07-28 6:22:57 PM  

#1  Good article posting on the threat of Electrical Magnet Pulsing. I immediately thought about the the havoc created by last summer's electrical black outs occuring in just 3 cities-NYC, Toronto, and London. Consider what would happen if greater numbers of cities were involved...
Several potential adversaries, such as China, are capable of launching a crippling EMP strike against the US with a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile, and others, such as North Korea or even terrorist groups, could have the capability by 2015, the panel said in its findings that it unveiled to US legislators at a hearing on 22 July. Panel members said this type of attack may be an appealing option, especially for an unsophisticated opponent. One possible scenario is a 'Scud' missile, with a modified nuclear warhead to maximise the EMP effect, launched from a barge off the US coast...An EMP attack, for example, could place the nation's electrical grid "in danger of fundamental collapse", said commission chairman William Graham, who served as scientific advisor to US President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. The overall effects could be long lasting and difficult to recover from, he added. An EMP strike would also be likely to knock out non-hardened satellites in low-Earth orbit "within days or weeks", he said, noting that commercial satellites are especially vulnerable.
Posted by: rex   2004-07-28 4:46:32 PM  

00:00