Category: EMP

MLLG

EMP Attack on America

George Noga

The Chinese spy balloon was a wakeup call to America
GEORGE NOGA – MAY 21, 2023

 

  Chinese spy balloon over America

The Chinese spy balloon saga brought to mind a subject I last wrote about in 2017, an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack on the USA. An EMP attack is the most lethal and least understood threat known to mankind. Since I last wrote about it, the threat has metastasized and our political leadership (both parties) has failed to take action to prevent an EMP attack, to limit the damage or to recover quickly.

EMP Attack Could Kill 300 Million Americans

An EMP bomb emits a high-intensity burst of electromagnetic (gamma ray) energy. Without getting hypertechnical, the pulse would knock out all power and electronics and cause irreversible damage to electrical transmission lines and any equipment with digital or electronic components and render them incapable of repair.

A single EMP weapon could kill 90% of Americans. Airplanes would fall from the sky. Vehicles with electronic components (after 1972) would stop. Water and sewer lines, electrical transmission lines and petroleum pipelines would fail. Food and fuel would run out. There would be no electricity, computers or communications.

The EMP blast would not kill many; the deaths would come from mass starvation. Cities maintain only a 3-day supply of food. The rule of law would be replaced by the law of the jungle. Few Americans would even know what happened.

How an EMP Attack Would Work

A suitcase-size EMP weapon could be smuggled into the USA on a container ship and placed on a river barge that travels to a place near the geographical center of the country. It could be launched by a weather balloon and detonated at the altitude calculated to wreak the most damage. It would not be immediately known who was responsible. Nuclear fuel emits a signature that can reveal where it was processed.

In 1962 the USA conducted a secret ionospheric nuclear test above Johnston Island which is 900 miles from Hawaii. Although this occurred in the era before electronics and computers, the effects were felt in Hawaii. At the instant of the blast, radios blacked out, telephones quit working and streetlights failed. And this was over 60 years ago in a test not designed for an electromagnetic pulse attack.

In the aftermath of an EMP attack, America would be a third world country with a population of under 50 million. We would be vulnerable to occupation by potential enemies. In the Forstchen trilogy (see infra) about an EMP attack, Mexico invades and reclaims all of the American southwest. It would take many years to recover as nearly all replacement equipment would need to come from abroad.

North Korea, Iran and Terrorists

The NoKos already have an EMP weapon and some of their missile tests have been rehearsals for an EMP attack. Iran soon will have one, as its nuclear program is closely aligned with the NoKos. It is not farfetched for terrorists to acquire such a device. EMPs are the quintessential asymmetrical weapon as our adversaries could inflict vastly more damage and they are less dependent on modern electronics.

Why is the USA so Vulnerable to EMP?

The most important role of government is protection from external threats. Yet, aside from some military sites, nothing in America is protected from EMPs. If we hardened our electrical grid and other critical infrastructure and stored backup equipment at all vulnerable sites we could recover quickly. Furthermore, a high level of preparedness would deter any possible enemies from launching an EMP attack.

I don’t know what such protection would cost, but it can’t be much north of $100 billion – a tiny fraction of what we have spent on Ukraine – and infinitesimally less than we have spent on Covid, the Inflation Reduction Act and climate madness. Our political class consternates over transgender sports rather than addressing an eminently preventable and existential threat to 300 million Americans. The Chinese spy balloon was a wakeup call to America and we hit the “snooze” button.

Note: William Forstchen wrote a popular trilogy about an EMP attack on America. Also, an NBC miniseries “Revolution” depicted the USA 15 years after an EMP attack.

© 2023 George Noga
More Liberty – Less Government, Post Office Box 916381
Longwood, FL 32791-6381, Email: mllg@cfl.rr.com

Electromagnetic Pulse Attack

George Noga
North Korea, Iran or ISIS could kill 300 million Americans with one EMP weapon
Electromagnetic Pulse Attack
By: George Noga – July 23, 2017
      We’ll get to EMPs after a few words about MLLG. I am ensconced in Whitefish, Montana until October. During August and September I will continue the Taxation in America series. I have more time while in Montana and will test some new posting formats such as personal anecdotes, ultra-short posts and more frequency. I will reprise the Montana Moments posts about life in Montana which is popular with readers. Email me with suggestions for topics or anything else you would like to see.

America’s Greatest, Least Understood and Most Preventable Threat

       Several of my 2017 posts have referenced electromagnetic pulse (“EMP”) threats to America without providing details. Readers have requested an explanation for how up to 300 million Americans could die, for example, from a single EMP weapon smuggled into the US on a container ship and launched from a river barge via weather balloon. EMPs are by far the most dangerous weapons ever known to mankind.

       An EMP is a high-intensity burst of electromagnetic (gamma ray) energy. A single EMP weapon detonated high over the center of the US would kill mainly through starvation. The death toll could reach 90% of the US (and Canadian) population even though no one would die from the blast. Without getting hyper-technical, an EMP blast would knock out all power and electronics causing irreversible damage to electrical transmission lines and anything with digital or electronic components.

     Airplanes would fall from the sky. Vehicles would stop. Water and sewer lines would fail. Transportation would cease. Food would rot and run out. There would be no electricity, communications or computers. US cities have only a 3 day supply of food. Society would collapse amidst mass starvation and the rule of law would be replaced by the law of the jungle. Few Americans would even know what happened.
Read William Forstchen’s popular trilogy about an EMP attack on America. Also, NBC’s TV series “Revolution” depicted life in America 15 years after an EMP attack.

       EMP damage is permanent and can’t be repaired. Nothing works – not planes, cars, trains trucks, pipelines, gas pumps, radio or TV stations, hospitals, communications, or electricity. There is no way to get food or fuel to people; most deaths are from starvation. New equipment would have to come mostly from outside the US and could take over a year to obtain. The US would become a third world country with a population of 35 million and vulnerable to occupation by potential enemies. In Forstchen’s trilogy, Mexico attacks, reclaiming all of the American Southwest.

     Pyongyang already has an EMP weapon which makes it likely that Iran, its strategic nuclear partner, also has one; if Iran has one, it is not far fetched ISIS could get one. Some North Korean missile tests likely are rehearsals for an EMP attack. North Korea could launch an EMP attack from one of its orbiting satellites. We might never even know who was responsible for an EMP attack launched via offshore freighter, satellite, river barge, submarine or weather balloon. EMPs are quintessential asymmetric warfare as our adversaries are much less reliant on modern electronics.

     The most important role of government is protection from external threats. Aside from some military sites, nothing in America is protected. If we hardened our electrical grid and stored back up equipment wherever needed, we could recover quickly. Even more importantly, such preparedness would deter possible enemies from launching an EMP attack in the first place. The cost is manageable and it could be done quickly.

     Protecting America from EMP attack is the ultimate shovel-ready project. However, our political class chooses to dither over ephemeral issues rather than to address an eminently preventable catastrophe and an existential threat to 300 million Americans.
Next up is part III of our intermittent series: Taxation in America.