Electromagnetic Warfare Is Here
http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/military/electromagnetic-warfare-is-here#
In the 2001 action movie Ocean’s Eleven, criminals use an electromagnetic weapon to black out a portion of Las Vegas. Very futuristic, you may say, but the threat is real and growing.
The problem is growing because the technology available to attackers has improved even as the technology being attacked has become more vulnerable. Our infrastructure increasingly depends on closely integrated, high-speed electronic systems operating at low internal voltages. That means they can be laid low by short, sharp pulses high in voltage but low in energy—output that can now be generated by a machine the size of a suitcase, batteries included.
Electromagnetic (EM) attacks are not only possible—they are happening. One may be under way as you read this. Even so, you would probably never hear of it: These stories are typically hushed up, for the sake of security or the victims’ reputation. Occasionally, though, an incident comes to light.
In May 2012, for instance, the Korea Herald reported that over 500 aircraft flying in and out of South Korea’s Incheon and Gimpo airports reported GPS failures, as did hundreds of ships and fishing boats in the sea west of Incheon Airport. The source of the EM fields was traced to the North Korean city of Kaesong, about 50 kilometers north of Incheon. South Korean officials indicated that North Korea had imported truck-based jamming systems in 2010 that had the capability to jam GPS signals. These officials speculated that one purpose of the jamming was to interfere with South Korea’s highly digital society. Or perhaps the North Koreans were conducting an experiment, using South Korea as their beta tester.
The EMF suitcase weapon does much the same thing, it appears, as a strong jolt of lightning, except that it could wipe you out on a sunny day or any other time.
It's disappointing that our species, at it's most creative, invents ways to wipe us out.
The killers are bored with themselves and want to wipe us out as a way of shifting the blame.
Perhaps they think life is a movie starring them.
Just after this forum started my cable internet and telephone stopped working.
Oh jee-biz-snid-snot!
First I looked out side to see if my cable was torn down by a polar bear, but it looked ok.
Within 10-minutes everything was normal again.
But what if it had been a EMP?
What if crazy dictators had hit the internet kill switch?
What if Russia said, "Well, screw it" and hit the BIG BUTTON!
Did someone say "dangerous times?"
I second the motion.
Only the ALPB can save us now.
I am not concerned with China. They build toys that do not work, battery instructions printed backwards and batteries that arrive dead. Russia on the other hand still remains a country of bullies and children. I wish Vlad was our president.
John WDCX said: "I wish Vlad was our president."
Actually, that could work. Vlad has class. Our fellow, on the other hand, seems a little disorganized.
You are right not to worry about China. Since making the famous dinner plates still in use in many households, they have done nothing of significance.
Unfortunately, our support systems have become so interconnected and interdependent that we are vulnerable to a host of problems, intentional or not, whereby if one system fails this impacts the others.
In the quest for efficiency and economy our manufacturing and distribution systems operate in "just in time" and "made on demand" modes and things are not stockpiled. Around here snowshovels become unavailable in stores after a good snow storm.
It has become easier to disrupt society and this can be done with much less effort than using EMP.
Transportation, supply, and communications fail during minor events causing major disruption. A regional hurricane causes national gasoline supply disruption and rising prices which do not return to "normal" after the event, for example.
Robustness is seldom designed into our systems. The internet and superhighway systems were designed to allow for communication and transportation to continue in the face of adversity (Eisenhower's plan for recovery after nuclear war) yet daily we see outages and traffic jams.
In my humble AM Part15 operation I have a backup transmitter/antenna system ready to go on battery if needed but this is only for my own way of doing things and has no consequence in the big picture other than to demonstrate how this can be done. I also have ham radios and battery supplies ready which will operate without repeaters or outside utilities if needed.
I offer no solution, just a view of the problems.
Neil
if i had the big bucks i would build a EMP hardened bunker isolated from the grid with a small emp hardened antenna silo and solar power bunker where my tower and backup solar power and equipment could be shielded from emp blasts under ground and then the tower and solar panels raised above ground after the danger passes. yes i put a lot of thought into the idea and design. i'm a closet prepper i just don't have the big bucks these preppers have to build this stuff.
Following Radio8Z's remarks, I would at least suggest that we should know our (possible) problems as best we can, otherwise how will we ever recognize a solution if one comes along?
Having functioning HAM gear is worthwhile, but relies on the trust that there will be others out in the world able to be contacted.
The snow shovel shortage makes a nice challenge... how would we go about building a snow shovel if we couldn't buy one?
One final thought... Radio8Z said, "It has become easier to disrupt society and this can be done with much less effort than using EMP."
"Disrupt society" implies a disrupter, someone who schemes to mess things up. The worst kind of disrupters are those not concerned about being caught in their own disastor because of their faith in some religious cause.
Now I have windshield scraping to do, I'm incapacitated by a film of ice. A snow shovel would be too large for this job.
Carl wrote "Having functioning HAM gear is worthwhile, but relies on the trust that there will be others out in the world able to be contacted."
This is true but experience has demonstrated that there are amateur radio operators who, if alive, have the ability to communicate without utilities but the questions remain "Will they?" and "What, if any, assistance can they provide?" History has shown that it is likely that there will be communication but rendering tangible help may not happen.
I am reminded of the bomb shelter craze in the 1950s. Upon informed thought it became apparent that long term survival isolated from the world is not likely. We depend upon others for survival. There is no harm in thinking and planning for such eventualities but considering realities cannot be ignored. It is not difficult to plan for independent survival for a period of a few weeks but long term independent survival planning is much more difficult.
Neil
It reminds me of those goofy films
we had to watch.
It's 1/2 hour after the blast. The narrator
in the film says:
"...well, things don't look so bad."
"Father comes up from the cellar first."
"Mother starts to straighten out the
furniture."
"Jenny and Carl come up from the cellar, too."
They pick up the papers from the livingroom
floor.
Carl looks for polar bears out the window.
On the serious side - - I think TODAY went OK.
And tomorrow probably will, too. Even
though this stuff is really facinating, about
all I can do is look forward a day or so.
One of my very closest friends here in CT
is really into this sort of thing - and every
once in a while, we sit down and talk about
it for a couple of hours. I hope nothing happens -
but talking about the technology is really fun.
(My friend is a broadcast eng., a ham, an SWL, and
also had a Part 15 AM station about 20 years ago.
He's pretty much like all of us here.)
Bruce, Noise and Static Radio