Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)What is EMP?Slide 3HistoryStarfish PrimeNon-Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse (NNEMP)Use of NNEMP in recent yearsElectromagnetic WeaponsRisks In the U.S.Limitations of Electromagnetic BombsElectromagnetic Pulse (EMP)What is EMP?•The term electromagnetic pulse (sometimes abbreviated EMP) has the following meanings:1. A burst of electromagnetic radiation that results from an explosion (especially nuclear) or a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field. The electric and magnetic fields couple with electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges. 2. A broadband, high-intensity, short-duration burst of electromagnetic energy.-Effects of an EMP device depend on the altitude of the detonation, energy yield, interactions with the earth's magnetic field, and shielding of targets.http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/7102-electromagnetic-pulse-bomb-video.htmlHistory•During the first United States nuclear test in 1945, electronic equipment was shielded due to Enrico Fermi’s expectation of an electromagnetic pulse from the detonation. –The official technical history for that first nuclear test states,-• All signal lines were completely shielded, in many cases doubly shielded. •Many records were lost because of spurious pickup at the time of the explosion that paralyzed the recording equipment.• During British nuclear testing in 1952–1953 there were instrumentation failures that were attributed to "radioflash," which was then the British term for EMP.-In July 1962, a 1.44 megaton United States nuclear test in space, 400 kilometres (250 mi) above the mid-Pacific Ocean, called the Starfish Prime test, demonstrated to nuclear scientists that the magnitude and effects of a high altitude nuclear explosion were much larger than had been previously calculated.Starfish Prime•Starfish Prime was the first successful test in the series of United States high-altitude nuclear tests in 1962 known as Operation Fishbowl. The subsequent Operation Fishbowl tests gathered more data on the high-altitude EMP phenomenon. •The EMP damage of the Starfish Prime test was quickly repaired because of the ruggedness of the electrical and electronic infrastructure of Hawaii in 1962. •Realization of the potential impacts of EMP became more apparent to some scientists and engineers during the 1970s as more sensitive solid-state electronics began to come into widespread use. •Starfish Prime also made those effects known to the public by causing electrical damage in Hawaii, about 1,445 kilometres (898 mi) away from the detonation point, knocking out about 300 streetlights, setting off numerous burglar alarms and damaging a telephone company microwave link.Non-Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse (NNEMP) •Non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NNEMP) is an electromagnetic pulse generated without use of nuclear weapons. - NNEMP generators can be carried as a payload of bombs and cruise missiles, allowing construction of electromagnetic bombs with diminished mechanical, thermal and ionizing radiation effects and without the political consequences of deploying nuclear weapons.Use of NNEMP in recent years•According to some reports, the U.S. Navy used experimental non-nuclear E-bombs during the 1991 Gulf War. These bombs utilized warheads that converted the energy of conventional explosives into a pulse of radio energy. CBS News reported that the U.S. dropped an E-bomb on Iraqi TV during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but this has not been confirmed. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, others also have speculated that the United States military used a Tomahawk Missile with a non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse warhead on other Iraqi targets. The evidence of this occurring is the power went out over Baghdad yet there was no physical damage to the electrical generator plant .A widely-read article by engineer and defense analyst Carlo Kopp, first published in 1996, stated that suitable materials and tools to create basic non-nuclear electromagnetic weapons are commonly availableElectromagnetic Weapons•Electromagnetic weapons are a type of directed energy weapons which use electromagnetic radiation to deliver heat, mechanical, or electrical energy to a target to cause pain or permanent damage. •They can be used against humans, electronic equipment, and military targets generally, depending on the technology.•When used against equipment, directed electromagnetic energy weapons can operate similarly to electromagnetic pulse (EMP) devices, by inducing destructive voltage within electronic wiring. –The difference is that they are directional and can be focused on a specific target using a parabolic reflector.Risks In the U.S.•Americans should look to past incidents, then multiply those impacts by the number of cities that could be hit by such an attack. –For example: San Diego County Water Authority and San Diego County Gas and Electric companies experienced severe electromagnetic interference. … Both companies found themselves unable to actuate critical valve openings and closings. This inability necessitated sending technicians to remote locations to manually open and close water and gas valves, averting, in the words of a subsequent letter of complaint by the San Diego County Water Authority to the Federal Communications Commission, a potential 'catastrophic failure' of the aqueduct system.Limitations of Electromagnetic Bombs•The limitations of electromagnetic weapons are determined by weapon implementation and means of delivery. –Weapon implementation will determine the electromagnetic field strength achievable at a given radius, and its spectral distribution. –Means of delivery will constrain the accuracy with which the weapon can be positioned in relation to the intended target. Both constrain lethality. •The dependence of modern economies upon their information technology infrastructure makes them highly vulnerable to attack with such weapons, providing that these can be delivered to their