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50 per cent of America. Much like an extreme GMD, a The only good news about an EMP strike is that its powerful EMP attack would cause widespread grid effect will cover a much smaller area than will an collapse, although this would be limited to a much — extreme GMD, so there will be a significant portion of smaller geographical area."* the rest of the US, as well as the rest of the outside A powerful EMP from a suborbital nuclear detonation —_ world, left intact and able to lend a hand towards would cause extreme electromagnetic effects, starting rebuilding critical infrastructure in the affected areas. with an initial short duration "speed of light" pulse, Imagine the near total loss of functioning infrastructure referred to as an E1 effect, followed by a middle- across an area of about a million square miles (~1.61 duration pulse called an E2 effect, followed by alonger- million sq. km; equivalent to 50 hurricane Katrinas duration disturbance known as an E3 effect. The El happening simultaneously) and you will have some idea effect is particularly damaging to modern electronic _ of the crippling effect of an EMP attack from a single equipment, especially digital micro-electronics. The — suborbital nuclear detonation! intermediate E2 effect is similar to many thousands of ightning strikes hitting over a widespread area at — Preventing Armageddon almost exactly the same time. In the case of a nuclear- The Electromagnetic Pulse Commission has studied induced EMP, its E3 effect starts after about half a the threat of both EMP and extreme GMD events and second and may continue for several minutes. made recommendations to US Congress to take a series Electromagnetically, it is quite similar to the effect from of active steps to ensure the survival of the grid and an extreme GMD, except the latter may continue fora other critical infrastructure. number of hours or days. John Kappenman of Metatech A "successful" EMP attack estimates that it would cost in aunched against the US would “ 9 the order of USSI billion to most likely result in the A successful EMP attack build special protective devices immediate collapse of the grid launched against the US into the US grid to protect the across roughly 50 per cent of . . EHV transformers from EMP or he country, the crash of the would most likely result in extreme GMD damage and to stock market and the the immediate collapse of build stores of critical destruction of many of the replacement parts should some critical digital electronic the grid across roughly of these items be damaged or 50 per cent of the country... destroyed. He estimates that it would cost significantly less reactors, chemical plants, than $1 billion to store at least telecommunications systems a year's worth of diesel fuel for and industrial processes. Modern digital electrical back-up generators at each US nuclear facility and to systems, absolutely critical for running factories, store sets of critical spare parts, such as back-up refineries, power plants, sewage plants, etc., are highly —_ generators, inside EMP-hardened steel containers to be susceptible to EMP damage. These systems include available for quick change-out should a generator be programmable logic controllers (PLC), digital control | damaged by an EMP strike and fail to start.'* systems (DCS) and supervisory control and data To me, this is a no-brainer. For the cost of a single B-2 acquisition (SCADA). bomber or a tiny fraction of the TARP bank bailout, we Bill Kaewert, President and CTO of Stored Energy could invest in pro-active preventive measures to avert Systems, LLC, a supplier of back-up power systems and what might well become the end of our civilisation and components for mission-critical structures such as ife as we know it! There is no way to protect against all Minuteman III missile silos, data centres and corporate possible effects from a solar superstorm, an extreme facilities, recently took part in a "tabletop EMP" exercise GMD or an EMP attack, but certainly we could at the National Defense University. Dozens of the implement measures to protect against the worst nation's leading first responders, public safety experts _ effects. Since 2008, Congress has narrowly failed to and military personnel took part in this exercise that pass legislation that would implement the EMP simulated a massive grid-down scenario typical of an | Commission's recommendations.” We have a long way EMP attack or an extreme GMD. According to Kaewert, © go to make our world EMP safe, but every citizen can even these highly trained personnel had a hard time do their part to push for legislation to move towards grappling with the public safety implications of a his goal and work inside their home and community to disaster the size of 50 hurricane Katrinas. It was also develop more local resilience and self-reliance so that, quite apparent that in an extended grid collapse, a large _in the event of a longer-term grid-down scenario, they number of emergency responders, military and might make the most of a bad situation. oo government personnel would abandon their posts to protect their family and friends from the ensuing chaos.” Co systems located in the affected areas that control nuclear ued on page 80 The only good news about an EMP strike is that its effect will cover a much smaller area than will an extreme GMD, so there will be a significant portion of the rest of the US, as well as the rest of the outside world, left intact and able to lend a hand towards rebuilding critical infrastructure in the affected areas. Imagine the near total loss of functioning infrastructure across an area of about a million square miles (~1.61 million sq. km; equivalent to 50 hurricane Katrinas happening simultaneously) and you will have some idea of the crippling effect of an EMP attack from a single suborbital nuclear detonation! launched against the US would most likely result in the immediate collapse of the grid across roughly 50 per cent of the country... stores 26 * NEXUS A “successful” EMP attack Continued on page 80 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2012 www.nexusmagazine.com