One device was developed that could be broken down into two parcels so it could be shipped by regular mail, for example, from one terrorist to another. The second HPM device was constructed to fit inside a small vehicle. It is difficult to assess the threat of a terrorist organization possibly using a smaller-scale HPM weapon against the United States critical infrastructure.
It could be argued that an HPM bomb by itself, may not be attractive to terrorists, because its smaller explosion would not be violent enough, and the visible effect would not be as dramatic as a larger, conventional bomb. Observers have reported that the leadership of some terrorist organizations may increasingly become aware of the growing advantages from an EMP attack launched against U.
In addition, the use of a new weapon directed at U. HEMP and HPM energy weapons primarily damage electronic systems, with little or no direct effect on humans, however, these effects may be difficult to limit or control.
As HEMP or HPM energy fields instantly spread outward, they may also affect nearby hospital equipment or personal medical devices, such as pace-makers, or other parts of the surrounding civilian infrastructure.
The deadline for the submission of the final report of the Commission has been extended to November 30, Michael Sirak, "U. Daniel G. William Graham, et al. Military and Civilian Infrastructure , October 7, A nuclear explosion produces gamma rays, which interact with air molecules in a process called the Compton effect. Electrons are scattered at high energies, which ionizes the atmosphere, generating a powerful electrical field. This EMP effect is strongest at altitudes above 30,m, and lasts so briefly that current cannot start flowing through a human body to cause harm to people.
For example, microwaves with wavelengths about 5. A Flux Compression Generator consists of explosives packed inside a cylinder, all of which is contained within a cylindrical copper coil structure.
The explosive is detonated from rear to front, causing the tube to flare in a wave that touches the copper coil, which produces a moving short circuit. This compresses the magnetic field and creates an electromagnetic pulse that is emitted from the front end, which is then directed by a special focusing antenna.
Kenneth R. Timmerman, "U. Experts may disagree on whether the damaging effects of HPM actually diminish following the familiar inverse-square-of-the-distance rule. Some experts state that the severity of HEMP effect depends largely on the bomb design, so a specially-designed low yield bomb may pose a larger HEMP threat than a high yield bomb.
EMP Threats to the U. Electrical systems connected to any wire or line that can act as an antenna may be disrupted. Kilovolts per meter is the standard measure for describing the strength of an EMP field. In layman's terms, the statement that a Russian Super-EMP weapon could generate kilovolts per meter means that a conductive object exposed to the EMP field will experience a surge of , volts for every meter of its length.
So if the object is 2 meters long, it gets , volts. If 3 meters long, it gets , volts, and so on. Stephen Shankland, Rackable's portable data center goes on sale, CnetNews.
Instant Access Networks, LLC, provides a commercial off-the-shelf, portable data center that meets or exceeds military specifications for EMP protection. Charles Manto, et al. Admiral Richard W. Joseph Farah, Iran plans to knock out U. Officials in Iran have also reported that in March , they successfully tested their "Fajr-3" long-range missile, which they claim has a range of miles, and which is invisible to radar.
However, other intelligence sources reportedly argue that the "Fajr-3" is merely an upgraded artillery shell with a very short range. The statement was reportedly made on April 30, , to a U. Congressional delegation that traveled to Vienna to meet with officials from the Russian Duma to discuss a framework for a peaceful solution of the then crisis in Kosovo.
Barry Crane, a physicist and former F-4 pilot now working at the Institute for Defense Analysis, has visited Russia's top electromagnetic pulse laboratories and design bureaus, and has stated that many Russian electromagnetic pulse specialists may also be now working on contract in China.
Timmerman, May 28, , "U. Because of the very specialized nature, strategic weapons use essentially no commercial equipment.
However, DOD increasingly uses commercial equipment in other tactical weapons. B-1, p. Some experts may disagree about whether most terrorist organizations are capable of building an inexpensive HPM weapon powered by a flux-compression generator. Personal communication with EMP Commission. Jerrold M. Post, Kevin G.
Ruby, and Eric D. Topic Areas About Donate. This report will be updated as events warrant. Download PDF. Download EPUB. Summary Electromagnetic Pulse EMP is an instantaneous, intense energy field that can overload or disrupt at a distance numerous electrical systems and high technology microcircuits, which are especially sensitive to power surges.
On July 22, , members of the EMP commission testified before the House Armed Services Committee and presented a report consisting of the following five volumes: Volume 1 is an unclassified Executive Summary.
Volume 2 is a classified Threat Assessment. Volume 3 is an unclassified Assessment of the U. Critical Infrastructure. In , when nuclear weapons designers ignited hydrogen bombs over the Pacific Ocean, the detonations created bursts of gamma rays that released a tidal wave of electrons that spread for hundreds of miles. Street lights were blown out in Hawaii, and radio navigation was disrupted for 18 hours, as far away as Australia.
The United States then set out to learn how to "harden" electronics against this electromagnetic pulse and to develop EMP weapons. Although much of this work is classified, it is believed that current efforts are based on using high-temperature superconductors to create intense magnetic fields.
Click on item you want to feedback on. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Prev NEXT. A switch connects the capacitors to the stator, sending an electrical current through the wires.
This generates an intense magnetic field. A fuze mechanism ignites the explosive material. The explosion travels as a wave through the middle of the armature cylinder. Natural EMPs occur when the sun occasionally spits out massive streams of plasma, and if they come our way, Earth's natural magnetic field can deflect them. But when the sun spits out enough plasma at once, the impact can cause the magnetic field to wobble and generate a powerful EMP.
The last time this happened was in in the so-called Carrington Event, and while electronics were still rare then, it knocked out much of the recently built telegraph network. Then, there's the possibility of deliberate EMPs.
If a nuclear weapon were to be detonated high in the atmosphere, Pry said, the gamma radiation it would release could strip electrons from air molecules and accelerate them at close to the speed of light. These charge-carrying electrons would be corralled by Earth's magnetic field , and as they zipped around, they would generate a powerful, fluctuating electric current, which, in turn, would generate a massive EMP.
The explosion could also distort Earth's magnetic field, causing a slower pulse similar to a naturally occuring EMP. Setting off a nuclear weapon about miles kilometers above the U. The explosion and radiation from the bomb would dissipate before reaching ground level, but the resulting EMP would be powerful enough to destroy electronics across the region, Pry said.
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