Posted on 05/14/2012 12:53:06 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Britain needs to spend money on building defenses against an “E-bomb” that would explode in the upper atmosphere and knock out all electronic communication and power, the Defense Secretary will say today.
Phillip Hammond will tell a conference that money needs to be spent on defenses that “cannot be seen on the parade ground.”
Dependence on electronic networks “creates vulnerability” he will say, adding that the response cannot be based on “infantry, or jet planes or destroyers.”
There is an increasing possibility that a rogue state could use an “E-bomb” that would release a devastating electromagnetic pulse (EMP), experts will tell a two-day conference in London.
In the worst case scenario, a nuclear missile could be fired in to space that would release a pulse large enough to paralyze Britain’s infrastructure.
“One of the challenges we face, particularly at a time of limited resources, is to make the case for spending on defense and security solutions that cannot readily be seen by the public—that cannot be shown off on the parade ground—that could be digital, not necessarily physical,” Mr. Hammond is expected to say. …
A powerful EMP attack could disable electronic systems and bring the country to a standstill. Earlier this month, Ministry of Defense officials warned some form of an E-bomb could already be in the hands of terrorists or rogue states. …
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
So I’m an old guy. Why wasn’t any of this noticed during Hiroshima or any of the later nuclear tests? Is this a new Law of Physics that I don’t know about? EMPs were there with all of the nuclear tests. What am I missing or how am I being smoked?
It WAS noticed. The nuclear test on the Bikini Atoll took out traffic lights in Australia.
If the politicians were honest, they would admit the only defense in this case is offence - take out the capability of those rogue states now.
Why wasn’t any of this noticed during Hiroshima or any of the later nuclear tests?It's a well-known effect (LINK).
Both the U.S. and the Soviets experienced it with their space-based nuclear tests.
When a nuclear bomb is detonated in the atmosphere, the EMP effect generally has a shorter range than the blast, so it's irrelevant.
The EMP effect has been known since nuclear tests way back in the 50s.
It wasn’t a major cause for alarm as it would have been collateral damage of a total nuclear war with the USSR.
But now that threat has lessened considerably.
The new threat is kooks like Abajabbado in Iran and Kim Jong Un that have limited nuclear capability.
How could they deploy their limited arsenal to maximize the damage?
An EMP attack. Destroy the US or Britain’s infrastructure.
An EMP generated over the Central US could render us back into the horse and buggy days, complete with oil lamps.
The electromagnetic pulse could generate an electrical spike on wiring, circuit board(esp. low voltage IC chips) that would fry them.
Even the electronic controls in your car would go ..Poof.
Society would grind to a halt.
There are countermeasures. The Faraday cage the most prominent. But obviously you can’t put powerlines in a cage, etc.
> Why wasn’t any of this noticed during Hiroshima or any of the later nuclear tests?
The transistor hadn’t been invented yet.
Tube radios and electronics are fairly forgiving of EMP as are older automotive ignitions with points and condensers.
It’s all the solid state stuff we have that is sensitive to EMP.
[ increasing possibility that a rogue state could use an “E-bomb” ]
That rogue state is called the Ummah! ...and like us - they have been allowed to infiltrate and live among us.
Remember that article years ago in Popular Science about how a E-Bomb is made...it’s been taken off the Internet for security reasons...but I have copy - they whole thing...thanks to magazine sales - it’s out there already - and everything can be purchased from a local hardware store!
oh - and it doesn’t need to be fired up into the air and exploded — just point it at your local transformer station and away we go!!!
It’s not that we should restrict our information and freedom of press - but restrict those that use such to destroy and threaten our way of life and the essence of the nation as a whole. (That’s my quote!)
This was the Link:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/1281421.html?page=1
Sorry - it was popular mechanics...I just looked at my file
As a former Nuclear Weapons Specialist, I will assert that most folks are concerned about the nuclear blast, flash, heat, and radiation.
EMP has always been there, but when you’re focused on avoiding or surviving those effects, you’re not too concerned about your radio not working.
Further, in the 50’s and 60’s, at the height of the nuclear fear, our cars and society we’re less susceptible to EMP, because we weren’t gadget and chip based.
Smaller nations realize they can’t overwhelm their opponents with a large scale nuclear attack, but they can cripple them with an EMP or two.
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