General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Short of a nuclear weapon, what can Putin do to us??? He's got nuthin' right? [View all]DemocraticPatriot
(4,361 posts)Quotes:
from https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1124730.pdf
"Hypersonic Warheads: New HEMP Threat
"Russian development of hypersonic missile warheads is a dangerous new dimension of the nuclear
and HEMP threat. Great speed (Mach 20, twenty times the speed of sound) and flying a flat
trajectory, skimming along the top of the upper atmosphere, significantly reduces visibility to U.S.
early-warning satellites and radars, while also reducing arrival time. Maneuvering makes
hypersonic warheads more difficult to track and intercept, virtually impossible to intercept with
existing U.S. National Missile Defenses. Former senior Defense Department official Dr. Mark
Schneider writes, The main reason for Russian hypersonic missiles is a nuclear surprise attack
and America has no defense against it. 34
"Hypersonic weapons are potentially a new avenue for surprise nuclear HEMP attack that could
defeat deterrence. We cannot see the attack coming and may not know against whom to retaliate,
especially if HEMP attack blinds satellites and radars needed for early-warning and threat
assessment.
"Hypersonically delivered HEMP attack could win World War III with a single electronic blow."
One nuclear warhead exploded at appropriate height can wipe out most of the electricity in North America, along with all of our modern vehicles, almost all communications, computers, the internet, and all modern electronics-- and even many of our weapons systems, "particularly land-based missiles"... We would be reduced to the pre-industrial age in an instant, but without many horses...
This paper notes deliberate EMP experiments that the Soviet Union conducted over their own territory in 1961-1962, the results of most which were never made public. It seems that they know more about EMP than we do. It also notes that they have various EMP-specialized nuclear weapons ready to use, but the United States has no such specialized weapons (although EMP effects can be produced with standard nuclear weapons exploded at high altitude over a target area).
I won't sleep so well after reading this pdf report, but anyone interested in EMP (electromagnetic pulse) should read this.
Of course, the end effect of such a weapon being detonated over North America would be guaranteed mass starvation, without any nuclear winter...