Article

2005-10-07 China-Japan-Koreas

Pentagon: Chicoms developing high altitude EMP weapon

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2005-10-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11129 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Chicoms developing high altitude EMP weapon

Credit helping hand, Clinton, Sandy Burgler, Hughes Electronics Corp., and Loral Space & Communications Ltd ~~sold~~ gave them.

http: HERE

Posted by Red Dog 2005-10-07 00:35|| 2005-10-07 00:35|| Front Page Top

#2 I think this is an early clarification by the United States.

A surprise attack without operational electronic technology would be a major blow. There should always has to be a balance with the dependancy on technology and good old fashion fighting.

Posted by Hupomoling Thaique7883 2005-10-07 02:42|| 2005-10-07 02:42|| Front Page Top

#3 The non-nuclear EMP weapons I've read about in the open literature have a rather short range. In contrast a high altitude nuclear blast has EMP effects over a wide area.

It's not just electronics that's vulnerable, but the electrical power system as well. Some critical military systems are hardened against HEMP, but it is expensive. It might take 30 years to harden the civilian infrastructure, but we need to start doing it. (Like that will ever happen.)

Posted by jolly roger 2005-10-07 07:09|| 2005-10-07 07:09|| Front Page Top

#4 High-altitude EMP done nuclear = high-yield device.

Things we can assume are rad hardened against EMP: strategic missiles and payloads, command and control centers at the strategic level and reaching down into some of the lower echelons.

Big mistake to think that use of EMP would go unpunished.

Posted by lotp 2005-10-07 07:13|| 2005-10-07 07:13|| Front Page Top

#5 Big mistake to think that use of EMP would go unpunished.

Why? The use of anthrax wasn't punished.

Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford 2005-10-07 07:45|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2005-10-07 07:45|| Front Page Top

#6 ..Rememeber that EMP is a function of burst strength and altitude - if it's just one weapon, it's gonna be a doozy, if it's anything more than one there will have to be a bunch of 'em, and there will be no mistaking what that is coming at us.
Keep in mind also that this nation's policy - Launch Under Attack - has never changed. The PRC can build all the EMP weapons it wants, but if they detonate over empty silos, it's not much good. Not to mention EMP weapons are not much good against Trident FBM boats - ONE of which can send the PRC back to the approximate tech level of the Ming Dynasty.
Let 'em think they have some magic bullet.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2005-10-07 07:59|| 2005-10-07 07:59|| Front Page Top

#7 An EMP strike on this country would be devastating. Most, if not all electronic equipment would be destroyed. That means all computers, all radios, all bank records, all atms, all medical records stored on computers and all vehicles built after electronic fuel injection would stop working. Life as we know it would ground to a halt. Think about New Orleans on a country wide scale. What really lead to the break down there was a lose of communication. How would that be on a national level?

Our electronic infrastructure would be gone. How would we even move food and supplies from the country side into the cities?

I think they seriously looked at this in the 80s. I think I remember reading an article about it in popular science entitled the Chaos Factor.

Matt

Posted by matt 2005-10-07 10:36|| 2005-10-07 10:36|| Front Page Top

#8 The big vulnerability is the civilian infrastructure and the non-battlefield infrastructure for the military. We have a long way to go before we are EMP-hardened on these.

Posted by rkb 2005-10-07 10:36|| 2005-10-07 10:36|| Front Page Top

#9 That matt was not me (he's much smarter), but the comment about communications breakdowns in New Orleans was spot on. I hope to live the rest of my life without hearing the phrase "All circuits are busy" again.

Posted by Matt 2005-10-07 14:50|| 2005-10-07 14:50|| Front Page Top

#10 The Chineese are not thinking that maybe they can strike Tiawan and possibly even part of Japan with such a weapon (we would think such a common balistic weapon strike scud type no nuke tip just conventional) but a launch to the West coast or even Hawia the missle would be detected early on and seen as a nuke (they wouldnt waste thier few Intercontinental missles on a non-accurate conventional strike on a air or naval base on the west coast or hawia), well before the EMP was in range. Counter missles would be inbound before it got mid-course. Exept maybe in the case we have another "peace-love-and-happiness" pres like Clinton who I doubt would retaliate against a full blown nuke strike on the homeland. He would need to investigate to confirm guilt first then of course ask the UN for authorization then make a limited non-over aggresive counter strike and then cry feeling the pain of the world crap. I would hope in that case some general at the underground bunker, would wisk his as8 into and just lock him in the room Then do what has to be done.

Posted by C-Low 2005-10-07 15:07|| 2005-10-07 15:07|| Front Page Top

#11 Would you take a chance on starting a war with a weapon you'd never tested?

Posted by Cralet Unereter9276 2005-10-07 15:08|| 2005-10-07 15:08|| Front Page Top

#12 IIRC, there are conventional munitions that create an EMP by squeezing a magnetic field with explosives. But I'm too lazy to go look now.

Smaller EMP weapons could be deployed as artillery rounds or tactical missiles directly over target to blind defenses and disrupt electronics.

Posted by SteveS 2005-10-07 15:42|| 2005-10-07 15:42|| Front Page Top

#13 Could such a weapon be used to, for example, take down an aircraft? Surface/Air to Air?

Wouldn't even have to hit the target, just explode within a certain range.

Posted by CrazyFool 2005-10-07 15:56|| 2005-10-07 15:56|| Front Page Top

23:59 RWV
23:23 jules 2
23:21 Redneck Jim
22:59 Phil Fraering
22:55 Bobby
22:50 Phil Fraering
22:48 Charles
22:37 Dawg
22:36 3dc
22:20 Red Dog
22:13 Red Dog
21:40 Shipman
21:40 CrazyFool
21:34 Shipman
21:32 Shipman
21:30 Shipman
21:28 Shipman
21:26 Shipman
21:22 Shipman
21:19 abu Stretch Wear
21:14 Shipman
21:11 Shipman
21:02 trailing wife
21:00 trailing wife