Assessments

Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) is an intense electromagnetic field that can instantly overload electrical circuits at a distance. Produced in the atmosphere by the power and radiation of a nuclear explosion it is referred to as High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP), which can damage electronic equipment over a wide area. In contrast, electrical equipment that transforms battery power, or a powerful chemical reaction or explosion can produce High-Power Microwave (HPM) energy, whose damaging effects are similar but more confined within a much smaller area.

In 2001, Congress established a commission to assess the threat from a large-scale HEMP attack. Several additional studies have since been conducted by the Defense Support Agency, the Defense Nuclear Agency, the Defense Special Weapons Agency as well as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency – all recognizing the realistic existence of an EMP/HEMP threat and the potential long-term disruptive effects of it.

In the past, the threat of mutually assured destruction provided a lasting deterrent against the exchange of multiple high-yield nuclear warheads. However, worldwide access to newer technologies and the proliferation of nuclear weapons increase concerns about possible EMP/HEMP attacks again. Now even a single, low-yield nuclear explosion high above the United States, or over a battlefield, can produce a large-scale EMP effect without any direct fatalities.

Reportedly, several potential U.S. adversaries, such as Russia and China are capable of launching an HEMP attack against the U.S., with other nations possibly having the capabilities in the near future.

To protect the nation’s defense system, the Department of Defense now strictly enforces the military standard MIL-STD 188-125, which describes methods for protecting against High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse for ground-based command and control facilities.

However, the environmental effects of an EMP/HEMP attack would also expand to the civilian infrastructure. A widespread collapse of the electric power grid could lead to cascading effects on our interdependent infrastructures, possibly lasting weeks or months. Fuel distribution, transportation systems, food and water supplies, communications and equipment for hospitals and first responders, as well as military communications systems which utilize the civilian infrastructure could be affected, thus making any recovery efforts difficult as well. As modern electronics shrink in size, circuitry is becoming increasingly tiny and more vulnerable to electromagnetic interference.

While MIL-STD 188-125 mandates the protection of critical system within the defense system, the civilian world has also started to adopt protective measures. The continuing business need to improve and expand the electric power system provides an excellent opportunity to improve both the security and reliability of the entire system in an economically acceptable manner.