Also, it's simply not known how severe the damage to large power station transformers would be. That's the most serious concern since those transformers are custom built for power plants and take on average 4 years to rebuild. Very powerful EMPs were tested near Kakzhastan and Hawaii in the early 60s, and there was no significant damage to power stations in Hawaii and only moderate and temporary damage in Kazhakstan.
We should ‘revive’ our Neutron Bomb from the 70’s......................
Would be pleased if you are right.
You are the only person I’ve seen suggesting not nearly the harm from these devices as has been suggested.
This should be named their “Suicide Bomb!”
Just finished reading ‘One Second After’....pretty scary stuff guys; I hope you are right ‘fishy’
Every single bit of modern electronics would potentially be damaged: all TVs, radios, car and truck ignition systems, telephones, and pretty well everything else. Without working transportation, food can't be distributed and without power, most food can't be preserved for any length of time.
EMPs eat solid state circuits. The NKs know that an EMP would be a crippling, humiliating blow. Our military stuff is designed to withstand an EMP but the civilian infrastructure is not.
Even such a “limited” EMP impact would be devastating. Consider the consequences of even just, say, NYC or SF or Seattle being completely shut down indefinitely - that’s, say, 10 million people with no transportation & limited supplies, all major internet data traffic thru there shut down, extensive power grid damage, etc. National resources would be devoted to recovering & re-routing around the problems. Maybe not TEOTWAKI, but that doesn’t make it trivial.
The problem with comparing 1960s era consequences is electronics of the time were relatively very robust (and still suffered lots of problems from EMP). Wouldn’t take much to destroy all the electronics you rely on daily now.
A couple of comments:
1) Asymmetric warfare: NK is practically immune to EMP itself because its infrastructure is so limited and backwards, as shown by the space photographs of NK at night. Virtually no lights.
2) The grid is a problem whose immunity I don’t know about.
Device immunity may be much different. I can tell you that even at the commercial level, EMC hardening must have a major protective effect against EMP. Hardening equipment to electrostatic discharge (ESD), and to various other radiated and powerline conducted electromagnetic insults is mandated by various international standards and is common practice.
Just so long as it is made clear that if we get an emp attack then Beijing will be hit as well.
4Ltr
This guy is calm, educated and prepared...Might want to listen to him and give your thoughts.
30-minute Interview 2 or 3 minutes in with Arthur T. Bradley.
Who is he?
1. He works for NASA
2. He has PhD in Electrical Engineering
3. HE IS CERTIFIED EMI/EMC and works with electromagnetics—his most important credential in his opinion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEaMlGfvYfQ
Indicates a percentage of these would be damaged...Not all but would/could create chaos.
EMP Commission Report has best DATA in his opinion. Biggest effect to nation electric grid mentioned
Fast rise time on the pulse affects small electronics.
Cars not all affected...
EMP is a “Line of Sight” event...in theory if detonated at couple hundred miles up above source region, could take out 70%
I assume the inverse square law still applies. Higher altitude = wider coverage = weaker effect — inversely proportional to the square of the distance...?
the dems will probably hope the Koreans attempt this if only to stop Trumps tweets....ha!
But both combined do not come close to the devastation caused by an EMP.
Read One Second After.
If Kim detonated an EMP or several over the US would we retaliate with nukes? I’ll bet not.
Nukes would affect S Korea also, something we would be very reluctant to do.
Our best bet ,IMO, would be Neutron Bombs. If we have any .
Yeah but the difference between 1960’s level of dependency upon electronics and today is astronomical. Those same tests today would yield a vastly different outcome.