Posted on 04/10/2014 4:00:16 AM PDT by Former Proud Canadian
How long, do you think, before they get that warhead?
Not really. They didn't get past the Gulf of Aden, but your point is taken.
"...China has strategically prepositioned EMP devices."
China has ICBM's in silos. Just change the flight profile and detonation altitude. They do not need to "preposition".
They could do it...with help. Chinese/Russian/ Iranian...techs “advising”. How would we know after they take out the grid? Then the Chinese/ Russians step in to “punish” NK and help us out with rebuilding...
In theory if everything works as t should, it is theoretically possible
I’ve seen no evidence of the actual ability for everything to work perfectly
But why go over the south pole? Too far, and in the wrong direction. Why not launch from the far north Atlantic, and follow a great-circle route to a point roughly 250 miles above Kansas, and let the nuke off? Or, just pop it off 150 miles above Washington, DC, which would probably darken the whole East Coast?
” North Korea is going to need access to a pretty powerful warhead—probably in the 250-300 kT”
and EMP is faily insensitive to the specific size of the nuclear blast - A 1-10kT warhead will do the trick. It’s the gamma-yield that matters. If NK has a “fizzler” warhead as has been speculated, which is an enhanced gamma-yield warhead they may, indeed have an existing EMP capability.
Agree, no 50kt nuke as such. But if they add a depleted-uranium casing, with help from the Russians or Chinese, that significantly improves gamma output, to maximize the Compton effect, and pop it off high enough above the atmosphere, yeah, it could blow every ultra-high-voltage transformer on the East Coast. And America only has one manufacturer left. And they have a backlog. It would be MONTHS without power. Yes, even with a 50 kt nuke.
It's the geomagnetic currents from the Compton effect electrons interacting with Earth's magnetic field that does it. With that level of yield, your iPhone would be just fine. The transformers that couple to the power generating stations, though, would be toast.
The crazies are gaining in power each and every day. “World Destabilization” any one?
What gets “knocked out” is highly dependent on the parameters of the blast. Most likely, it would kill every last ultra-high-voltage transformer on the electrical grid before it killed your car or wall thermostat.
Yeah, it’s a stupid plan. Launching from a ship in the Gulf would be more effective.
I don't think so. The EMP effect in the K3 test was accidental, remember. With gamma enhancement of the warhead from their Russian or Chinese friends, a significantly smaller yield--maybe as low as 50kt-- could do the same job, EMP-wise. Remember, it would be the electrical grid their after. So, it's the secondary EMP effect--geomagnetic currents-- not the primary EMP effect--the one that kills "chips"-- that they would be after.
Exactly right. For tinfoil hatters, it might be to cover a false flag. As for me, I only say, "get off your asses, quit spying on the American people, and do something about the real threats. That's what you get paid for. Are you incompetent?"
But the Chinese would need to be able to “blame it” on the Norks. They don’t want US generals overriding Obama and raining nuclear fire down on the their country.
Right on, RFEngineer! Exactly what I have been saying. Enhancing gamma output is possible independent of yield.
The questionable content of Chinese satellites currently orbiting the planet might be of some concern. Especially stationary orbits over strategic targets. Can we trust US Space Command in Cheyenne Mt. has a firm grip what’s up there now?
They are just as likely to nuke themselves with their own bomb as we are likely to nuke ourselves with Hillary.
Does this mean Joe Sixpack will have his house and his person searched more often by DHS?
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