This article has been generously contributed by Mac Slavo from SHTFplan
A spokesman for the Center for Security Policy says that the threat of Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) is real. With Iran developing multi-stage Space Launch Vehicles (SLV) the possibility of such an attack will become even more probable than ever before:
And experts forecast if such an attack were a success, it effectively could throw the U.S. back into an age of agriculture.
“Within a year of that attack, nine out of 10 Americans would be dead, because we can’t support a population of the present size in urban centers and the like without electricity,” said Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy. “And that is exactly what I believe the Iranians are working towards.”
A recent launch of an SLV by Iran has sparked renewed concern of an attack that could send an electromagnetic pulse powerful enough to wipe out computer controls for systems on which society has come to rely, officials say.
As the G2 Bulletin reported last week, Ronald Burgess, director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, revealed that Iran successfully launched a multi-stage SLV, the Simorgh. The device ultimately could be equipped with a nuclear bomb, which the U.S. intelligence community assesses Iran is developing.
Officials also report Iran has been testing detonation of its nuclear-capable missiles by remote control while still in high-altitude flight. The development makes a potential EMP attack on the U.S. more probable.
An enemy of the United States, be it Iran, North Korea or a terrorist organization, does not need to detonate a nuclear weapon on the ground.We believe this is the only reason why Iran would be testing SLV’s with in-flight detonations. With this kind of weapon, Iran (or anyone else) would simply need to strike first. Once the weapon goes off, it would be difficult to determine from where it came and to respond appropriately, as all forms of traditional communication would be wiped out.
A small-scale, five to ten kiloton weapon detonated 200 miles above Nebraska, or a few weapons detonated 50 miles or so above the eastern, western and central United States would do the job.
The effects would be nothing short of disastrous – literally the end of the world as we know it.
All unprotected and unhardened electrical devices would be left useless.
This means that everything, from the refrigerator in your kitchen to the semi-trucks that carry food across the country, would be non-functioning.
If an enemy of the USA wants to bring America to its knees without rendering the land completely useless, they could do so with an EMP weapon.
We’ve always believed that a mainland invasion of the United Stated would be difficult, if not impossible. But, if an EMP weapon were to be used, our country could effectively be invaded within a matter of months, as most of the population would be wiped out and the government and military infrastructures in disarray.
We consider EMP as one of the most significant threats out there. The recovery period from a collapse of this magnitude would be counted in decades, not years, thus, for those who are “prepping” for a worst-case scenario, consider long term sustainability planning when planning for an EMP SHTF scenario.
Recommended Research:
One Second After by William Forstchen
Jericho TV Series (Available on iTunes)
Patriots by James Wesley Rawles
This article has been generously contributed by Mac Slavo from SHTFplan
The US military has been fully EMP protected since the late 1980s. All A/C, electronics, subs, tanks, underground facilities, etc. Additionally, the backbone communications across the nation is EMP protected.
Mechanically fuel injected and carborated engines and diesels would not be affected, unless manufactured after mid-1985, when all the pollution crap was hung on.
Not to be arguementative but to be optimistic: It would take more then one nuke EMP device to destroy the grid. Probably 20 nukes at least. If the grid was destroyed today they would begin rebuilding it within the hour. It could take weeks or months to get most of it back up but it would be up and running again. EMP devices are not effective in their coverage and would leave pockets untouched, and the effect drops of dramatically with distance so even with a total all out attack it is likely 90% of the grid or more would be untouched. Today China, Russia and the U.S. has the capability to deliver 20 nuclear EMP devices. Iran will likely never be able to deliver even one EMP device. It would make far more sense to fear a conventional nuclear attack which is clearly possible under the right world conditions and those conditions could occur overnight with the right provocations. But an “end of the world EMP”, unlikely.
No offense but GoneWithTheWind sounds very naive. I would say that your estimates come very short of reality. There is tons of evidence that just one small nuke or emp device detonated over the center of the US and 1 mile in the air drops the power grids over the entire US, half of Mexico, and half of Canada. Not to mention too that power grids run in succession from point to point, which means that if you drop one point you drop everything downstream from that point.
Fact is 9 out of 10 people in the US do not find the need to prepare for, nor become self-sufficient in case of a what if scenario. Anyone who finds their confidence in relying on the Federal Government to sustain them during these times will without a doubt be included in the 9 that die off instead of the 1 that lives.
Bottom line with EMP’s is that most of the testing ended in the early 1960’s and the results were never released by Russia and US. Testing since then have been on EMP effect on autos, planes so on and so forth. Everything mentioned in these comments are just theory and never been proven. If Iran or N Korea ever had the capability would they attempt an emp attack based on theory knowing they had one shot?
Jericho is also available on Netflix, all episodes, for the same fee you already pay (I pay $9.00 per month). I watched them all and the series certainly is eye-opening.