EMP National Threat Profile

Disciplines

Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics | Defense and Security Studies | International Relations | Risk Analysis | Science and Technology Policy | Science and Technology Studies

Abstract (300 words maximum)

Borne by hypersonic missile, a single ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) weapon detonated in the atmosphere over Kansas would incapacitate the American electrical grid for 4-10 years, incur trillions of dollars in damage, and result in the death of 150-300 million Americans within the decade. Traversing a swathe of the atmosphere into which few detection devices peer and possessing the capability to dodge counter-missile measures, hypersonic missiles are characterized by their trajectory and maneuverability, distinguishing them from traditional ICBMs (which also travel at hypersonic speeds). Generated from a nuclear warhead, a High-altitude ElectroMagnetic Pulse (HEMP) blast, delivered via hypersonic missile, blankets the nation with high-energy photons, instantaneously frying all electronics – powered or unpowered – unless heavily shielded. Although phones, computers, batteries, and electrical circuits of all varieties irreparably overload and the supply chain critically fractures for years, humans emerge unscathed from the photon shower. Technically, the attacking nation (for instance, China) did not directly harm a single US citizen, only our technology, economy, and infrastructure. Americans either starve or kill each other as society collapses, but China remains indirectly responsible for those deaths. Therefore, attempting to justify nuclear or conventional reprisal encounters moral, legal, and geopolitical objections. As “competition below the threshold of war,” EMP attacks place America in an awkward quandary, especially since America lags dangerously “behind the curve” in its hypersonic capabilities, potentially preventing us from delivering a retaliatory EMP strike on China. Naturally, America must prioritize development of a hypersonic arsenal and harden existing electrical/digital infrastructure to withstand EMP bursts. Building upon Oak Ridge National Lab’s most recent declassified EMP report, a 2012 Congressional hearing, and the two best real-world instances of an EMP detonation (1962 Starfish Prime Test and Soviet Nuclear Test 184), this inquiry examines the ramifications, recourse, and retribution associated with an EMP strike.

Academic department under which the project should be listed

RCHSS - Government and International Affairs

Primary Investigator (PI) Name

Stephen Collins

Additional Faculty

Dr. Hoseon Lee, Electrical Engineering, hlee69@kennesaw.edu

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EMP National Threat Profile

Borne by hypersonic missile, a single ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) weapon detonated in the atmosphere over Kansas would incapacitate the American electrical grid for 4-10 years, incur trillions of dollars in damage, and result in the death of 150-300 million Americans within the decade. Traversing a swathe of the atmosphere into which few detection devices peer and possessing the capability to dodge counter-missile measures, hypersonic missiles are characterized by their trajectory and maneuverability, distinguishing them from traditional ICBMs (which also travel at hypersonic speeds). Generated from a nuclear warhead, a High-altitude ElectroMagnetic Pulse (HEMP) blast, delivered via hypersonic missile, blankets the nation with high-energy photons, instantaneously frying all electronics – powered or unpowered – unless heavily shielded. Although phones, computers, batteries, and electrical circuits of all varieties irreparably overload and the supply chain critically fractures for years, humans emerge unscathed from the photon shower. Technically, the attacking nation (for instance, China) did not directly harm a single US citizen, only our technology, economy, and infrastructure. Americans either starve or kill each other as society collapses, but China remains indirectly responsible for those deaths. Therefore, attempting to justify nuclear or conventional reprisal encounters moral, legal, and geopolitical objections. As “competition below the threshold of war,” EMP attacks place America in an awkward quandary, especially since America lags dangerously “behind the curve” in its hypersonic capabilities, potentially preventing us from delivering a retaliatory EMP strike on China. Naturally, America must prioritize development of a hypersonic arsenal and harden existing electrical/digital infrastructure to withstand EMP bursts. Building upon Oak Ridge National Lab’s most recent declassified EMP report, a 2012 Congressional hearing, and the two best real-world instances of an EMP detonation (1962 Starfish Prime Test and Soviet Nuclear Test 184), this inquiry examines the ramifications, recourse, and retribution associated with an EMP strike.