China Has ‘First-Strike’ Capability To Melt U.S. Power Grid With Electromagnetic Pulse Weapon

[clapclapclap 9000]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2020/06/25/china-develops-first-strike-capability-with-electromagnetic-pulse/?fbclid=IwAR3thwLnIt4-WcPMitt9W5Nk3YIbsxUXsu6IcA_5sAH7qHPklLo97YlWQ2M#53a3e1aee190

Last week, the EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security issued a scary report on China’s ability to conduct an Electromagnetic Pulse attack on the United States. The key takeaway, according to Dr. Peter Pry,
 executive director of the task force, is that China now has super-EMP weapons, knows how to protect itself against an EMP attack, and has developed protocols to conduct a first-strike attack, even as they deny they would ever do so.

According to the Center for Strategic International Studies, China has the most active ballistic missile development program in the world, so this is doubly troubling. China used stolen U.S. technology to develop at least three types of high-tech weapons to attack the electric grid and key technologies that could cause a surprise “Pearl Harbor” attack that could produce a deadly blackout to the entire country.

Dr. Pry outlines how China has built a network of satellites, high-speed missiles, and super-electromagnetic pulse weapons that could melt down our electric grid, fry critical communications, and even takeout the ability of our aircraft carrier groups to respond.

Spoiler

EMPs are one of those things that many people think is fake, or over-blown, or a conspiracy theorist’s dream. But they are real. EMPs can be either natural, from things like extreme solar geomagnetic disturbances, or man-made like a large thermonuclear detonation or a cyberattack. If they are coordinated with physical attacks then things can get real dicey real fast.

As the U.S. Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from EMP Attack points out, “the physical and social fabric of the United States is sustained by a system of systems - a complex and dynamic network of interlocking and interdependent infrastructures whose harmonious functioning enables the myriad actions, transactions, and information flow that undergird the orderly conduct of civil society.”

According to the Commission, EMP effects represent arguably the largest-scale common-cause failure events that could affect our electric power grid and undermine our society, leaving it vulnerable on many fronts. About the only safe systems are nuclear reactors, both new and old.

High-voltage control cables and large transformers that control the grid are particularly vulnerable. Transformers weigh 400 tons, take two years to build, and cost $7 million apiece. We are already way behind in having backup transformers ready, so if many go out at once, we have a big problem just powering our country.

The mechanism for a 400-kilometre-high (250 mi) burst EMP: gamma rays hit the atmosphere, ejecting ... [+]

 US ARMY

The phenomenon of a large electromagnetic pulse is not new. The first human-caused EMP occurred in 1962 when the 1.4 megaton Starfish Prime thermonuclear weapon detonated 400 km above the Pacific Ocean.

One hundred times bigger than what we dropped on Hiroshima, Starfish Prime resulted in an EMP which caused electrical damage nearly 900 miles away in Hawaii. It knocked out about 300 streetlights, set off numerous burglar alarms, and damaged a telephone company microwave link that shut down telephone calls from Kauai to the other Hawaiian islands.

And that was from 900 miles away.

On the natural side, in 1989, an unexpected geomagnetic storm triggered an event on the Hydro-Québec power system that resulted in its complete collapse within 92 seconds, leaving six million customers without power.  The storm resulted from the Sun ejecting a trillion-cubic-mile plume of superheated plasma, or ionized gas.

Such storms occur every 60 years or so, and in 1989, we weren't anywhere near as electrified and electronically interconnected as we are today, or as we will be in 30 years.

Solar events were considered the most likely EMP to occur. Until now.

According to Dr. Pry, a longtime expert on EMP warfare, China developed the weapons as part of its Total Information Warfare that includes hacking raids on computers, as is expected during the next presidential election.

Even more troubling, Dr. Pry found that China is eager to shoot first with “high-altitude electromagnetic pulse,” or HEMP, weapons launched from satellites, ships, and land.

“China’s military doctrine — including numerous examples presented here of using HEMP attack to win on the battlefield, defeat U.S. aircraft carriers, and achieve against the U.S. homeland a surprise ‘Pearl Harbor’ writ large — is replete with technical and operational planning consistent with a nuclear first-strike,” said Pry in his report.

Needless to say, we are not prepared for this.

Spoiler

.

China has the most active ballistic missile development program in the world. 

CSIS

Dr. Pry is trying to raise awareness of the possible threat posed by an EMP attack, either from a military foe or from a solar event. China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are moving to build and deploy systems which can launch a nuclear weapon into the atmosphere to explode and disable electronics below, including flying aircraft.

A report done while Dr. Pry was a key member of a congressional EMP commission found that an EMP attack on the East Coast electric grid could lead to a huge number of deaths.

You might think that EMP is too farfetched to worry about. But you would be wrong. We have been learning in the information age that if it can be done, someone will do it.

The speed with which our information age is changing is paralleled by the speed with which our national digital organism can test and block the ever-changing gaps and vulnerabilities in our electronic shield.

Like a host adapting to new parasites, this is just a normal incident for an evolving society in a rapidly-changing digital environment that selects for a digital organism that viscerally understands the whole system and can use it to its advantage.

Societies with older systems will be at a dangerous disadvantage. The Universe does this all the time.

Sociologically, China seems to be moving into a more aggressive position globally, evidenced by their recent conflict with India and their aggression in the South China Sea with their east Pacific neighbors.

This may have been aggravated by China’s 1-child policy. Although the policy did reign in population growth (fertility rates dropped below two by 1990 and the present population is 1.3 billion), it gave rise to another problem – too few women.

Almost all cultures prefer a male as the first child and in China, the eldest male is expected to take care of his elderly parents. Therefore, the magnitude of female infanticide in China became astonishing in the decades between 1990 and 2010, when well over ten million female infants were killed. Only a relatively few found adopted homes in other countries.

China then changed to a 2-child policy, but the damage to an entire generation will not be so easily erased. The result was a skewed sex ratio in the generation born since 1980. Today, there are about 50 million more males than females. Just think of the states of Texas, New York and Ohio filled with just men.

The consequences of having too many uncoupled males in a society are worse than just making it difficult to find a mate. 

Spoiler

Soon there will be a substantial deficit of younger workers to provide support to an aging population. By 2030, China will have over 400 million people over the age of 60. Maintaining sufficient economic growth under these conditions will be difficult.

Some research indicates that excess males to this degree tends to make a society more aggressive and nationalistic, both of which have risen dramatically in China.

Not coincidentally, China has rolled out a number of other new military capabilities, designed to protect their new expansionist future. Included in their burgeoning array is a new generation of nuclear submarines, a carrier-killing missile named DF-21D, intended specifically to destroy aircraft carriers, and new rocket launch vehicles, like the Long March 6 rocket capable of carrying 20 warheads, that just went into space last month to deploy 20 satellites in orbit.

While everyone points out that the United States spends more on its military than the next ten countries combined, it turns out that China is far and away number 2, spending a third of what we spend in dollars, but almost the same percentage of its GDP as we do.

So as the United States slips into chaos and ignores the global threats that still face us, China moves steadily forward with its plan to become the greatest nation on Earth.

tl;dr:  Chicom incels gonna use MJ to knock us back to the Stoner Age.

Edited July 25, 2020 by clapclapclap
Minor counterpoint: Nuclear MAD still in effect

[Armybrat 40911]

Hope we go on letting them think they have the upper hand, but they don’t.

[clapclapclap 9000]

Underestimate the impact of too many uncoupled males with impure precious bodily fluids at your own peril.  Or pleasure.

[RomaVicta 30018]

5 minutes ago, BurntEyes said:

China can't afford to shut down the US. We have economic mutually assured destruction.

 

Yep. Plus, we're the ones always "projecting" military force everywhere. I don't blame the Chinese for wanting a deterrent. They don't gain anymore than we would by crippling or destroying another great power.

This isn't a big game of Risk. They're probably delighted to see us spending such an absurd amount on the military while they invest in their economic well being. That's were ascendancy will happen.

[hornian 5223]

Maybe having the Texas power grid decoupled from the US grid will keep us from being turned into the Postman staring Kevin Costner (and Tom Petty). 

[Armybrat 40911]

3 minutes ago, RomaVicta said:

Yep. Plus, we're the ones always "projecting" military force everywhere. I don't blame the Chinese for wanting a deterrent. They don't gain anymore than we would by crippling or destroying another great power.

This isn't a big game of Risk. They're probably delighted to see us spending such an absurd amount on the military while they invest in their economic well being. That's were ascendancy will happen.

They do not need to spend as much because they steal vast amounts of technology from us and other western nations.

Their R&D depends on our openness and stupidity. 

[SubliminalHorn 6811]

19 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Hope we go on letting them think they have the upper hand, but they don’t.

I know we like to think this, cuz ‘Merica. But why, exactly, do we think that we ALWAYS have the upper hand? Yeah we spend a lot of money on the military, but a lot of that is bloat. Our infrastructure has declined and our electrical grid is wide open to attack. All that military spending in the world has zero effect if every computer in the country is fried. 

Edited July 25, 2020 by SubliminalHorn

[Armybrat 40911]

Los Alamos knows they don’t. And that’s all I’ll say aboutthat.

But global economics will preclude any such attack. It would be the end of the PRC.

[ztejas 43537]

2 minutes ago, SubliminalHorn said:

I know we like to think this, cuz ‘Merica. But why, exactly, do we think that we ALWAYS have the upper hand? Yeah we spend a lot of money on the military, but a lot of that is bloat. Our infrastructure has declined and our electrical grid is wide open to attack. All that military spending in the world has zero effect if every computer in the country is fried. 

I mean the only argument you could make is that our intelligence capability and cybersecurity might be behind China or Russia - but I seriously doubt that. 

In terms of conventional warfare capability the gulf between the US and whoever is next (again Russia or China I guess) is a joke. In terms of nuclear capability it's us and Russia. 

[FORTY NINE TO ZERO 2652]

Cold War 2.0  

my big fear is that with the Russians there was still some cultural understanding due to all the shared history between the two blocs.  We were able to have at least some insight into each other’s unsaid motivations and how each of us would react to provocations. 
 

China has such a history separate from “The West” and self isolation that I’m worried this won’t be the case this go around. 

[Doyle Hargreaves 301]

Nimitz and Reagan battle groups have been in the SCS for 2 plus weeks and counting. 
 

China has claimed for a decade that they will sink us if we trespass. We are there. Fuck China. 

 

[Wanker Bob 379]

This is why continued global economic reliance is important for everyone. 

We've also shown China that we are fractured at the seams and about the most susceptible nation on the planet to a biological attack. Just this coronavirus is breaking us down worse than just about every other developed country.  

[woohorn 1131]

I know we like to think this, cuz ‘Merica. But why, exactly, do we think that we ALWAYS have the upper hand?

Cuz dey stole all their good shit from us. Look at their carriers/jets. Any decent weapons were just stolen diagrams out of our engineers trashcans.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

Quote

Dr. Peter Pry

Unfortunate name.

So will our new Space Force escape the EMP wrath?

[atomheartbevo 89799]

49 minutes ago, SubliminalHorn said:

I know we like to think this, cuz ‘Merica. But why, exactly, do we think that we ALWAYS have the upper hand? Yeah we spend a lot of money on the military, but a lot of that is bloat. Our infrastructure has declined and our electrical grid is wide open to attack. All that military spending in the world has zero effect if every computer in the country is fried. 

And all of their work to build an economy with a decades-long gameplan is gone if they attack us.  Our economic policy lurches from quarter to quarter at times.  Their economic policy, for good or bad, is looking years down the road.  

Not to mention that a nuke attack, whether EMP-centric or not, is a nuke attack.  They can't hit every submarine and our silos are hardened against EMP.  There would be nukes launched on China.

This is just more posturing and is a deterrent to the US (and other nations).  We keep forgetting that they are projecting their agricultural and economic businesses in Africa - they intend on being a key player there, and having influence there, and protecting what they have there.

 

[JohnnyRage 1617]

Why can they not just import poor women from shithole countries? That's what I should do.

[Stannis 232]

The US Navy has 14 Ohio-Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines.  Each one of those subs carries 20 Trident submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles.  Each of those 20 missiles is a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV), meaning each of the 20 Trident missiles carries up to 12 nuclear warheads (that is, if one Trident missile is launched, it can independently deploy 12 nuclear bombs to 12 independent targets).  In short, our submarine-based strategic nuclear deterrent, by itself, is capable of vaporizing every soul in China many times over.  That doesn't even take into consideration the other two arms of our nuclear triad (land-based ICBMs and strategic bombers). 

I don't think China is going to be taking down our power grid any time soon.

[XYZ 2154]

Chicoms are a bunch of pansies.

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

3 minutes ago, Stannis said:

The US Navy has 14 Ohio-Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines.  Each one of those subs carries 20 Trident submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles.  Each of those 20 missiles is a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV), meaning each of the 20 Trident missiles carries up to 12 nuclear warheads (that is, if one Trident missile is launched, it can independently deploy 12 nuclear bombs to 12 independent targets).  In short, our submarine-based strategic nuclear deterrent, by itself, is capable of vaporizing every soul in China many times over.  That doesn't even take into consideration the other two arms of our nuclear triad (land-based ICBMs and strategic bombers). 

I don't think China is going to be taking down our power grid any time soon.

User name checks out.  

[Underdog 28773]

5 minutes ago, Stannis said:

The US Navy has 14 Ohio-Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines.  Each one of those subs carries 20 Trident submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles.  Each of those 20 missiles is a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV), meaning each of the 20 Trident missiles carries up to 12 nuclear warheads (that is, if one Trident missile is launched, it can independently deploy 12 nuclear bombs to 12 independent targets).  In short, our submarine-based strategic nuclear deterrent, by itself, is capable of vaporizing every soul in China many times over.  That doesn't even take into consideration the other two arms of our nuclear triad (land-based ICBMs and strategic bombers). 

I don't think China is going to be taking down our power grid any time soon.

Fuck.  Yeah. 

[JohnnyRage 1617]

13 minutes ago, Stannis said:

The US Navy has 14 Ohio-Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines.  Each one of those subs carries 20 Trident submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles.  Each of those 20 missiles is a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV), meaning each of the 20 Trident missiles carries up to 12 nuclear warheads (that is, if one Trident missile is launched, it can independently deploy 12 nuclear bombs to 12 independent targets).  In short, our submarine-based strategic nuclear deterrent, by itself, is capable of vaporizing every soul in China many times over.  That doesn't even take into consideration the other two arms of our nuclear triad (land-based ICBMs and strategic bombers). 

I don't think China is going to be taking down our power grid any time soon.

Are the missles satellite guided? What if our satellites are taken out first, power grid second?

[Armybrat 40911]

22 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Unfortunate name.

So will our new Space Force escape the EMP wrath?

Nah, they’ll invade the new UAE satellite.

[RPM 26354]

They can't even build a freaking dam. They gonna EMP the entire nation?

[workswithseed 2111]

 

 

[Enchubben 5510]

23 minutes ago, Stannis said:

The US Navy has 14 Ohio-Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines.  Each one of those subs carries 20 Trident submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles.  Each of those 20 missiles is a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV), meaning each of the 20 Trident missiles carries up to 12 nuclear warheads (that is, if one Trident missile is launched, it can independently deploy 12 nuclear bombs to 12 independent targets).  In short, our submarine-based strategic nuclear deterrent, by itself, is capable of vaporizing every soul in China many times over.  That doesn't even take into consideration the other two arms of our nuclear triad (land-based ICBMs and strategic bombers). 

I don't think China is going to be taking down our power grid any time soon.

[Armybrat 40911]

We and the Russians have had this same capability since LBJ was getting JFK’s leftovers.

[South Austin 52604]

The Chinaman is not the issue, Dude.

[MadBurgerMaker 404]

12 minutes ago, JohnnyRage said:

Are the missles satellite guided? What if our satellites are taken out first, power grid second?

Inertial guidance.  They'd get nuked.

[RPM 26354]

1 minute ago, MadBurgerMaker said:

Inertial guidance.  They'd get nuked.

a/k/a Fire and Forget

[Stannis 232]

35 minutes ago, ChiTownDoc said:

User name checks out.  

Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies.

[washparkhorn 9939]

1 hour ago, Stannis said:

The US Navy has 14 Ohio-Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines.  Each one of those subs carries 20 Trident submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles.  Each of those 20 missiles is a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV), meaning each of the 20 Trident missiles carries up to 12 nuclear warheads (that is, if one Trident missile is launched, it can independently deploy 12 nuclear bombs to 12 independent targets).  In short, our submarine-based strategic nuclear deterrent, by itself, is capable of vaporizing every soul in China many times over.  That doesn't even take into consideration the other two arms of our nuclear triad (land-based ICBMs and strategic bombers). 

I don't think China is going to be taking down our power grid any time soon.

Agree. The Northern Hemisphere would become a nuclear winter hellscape. Pure madness. 

[Assman 1830]

Ho lee fuk

[BigHorn'13 3387]

Me Chinese, me play joke. 

Me make you think everything a hoax. 

 

We're so vulnerable as a people now, I'm not sure if we respond in the same way y'all think. Something like losing the power grid would be the start of the end times. 

[MadBurgerMaker 404]

7 minutes ago, BigHorn'13 said:

We're so vulnerable as a people now, I'm not sure if we respond in the same way y'all think. Something like losing the power grid would be the start of the end times. 

Taking out the US power grid with an EMP is a huge strategic attack that can potentially destroy the country (as we know it at the very least).  That's definitely a nuclear response.  

[TwiceHorn 31536]

2 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

User name checks out.  

Stennis.  John C. Stennis.  

He had a pretty horrible record in support of segregation, but may have had a change of heart toward the end.

[clapclapclap 9000]

Working hard to build up your social credit score.

[mulletpelini 5216]

2 hours ago, BigHorn'13 said:

We're so vulnerable as a people now, I'm not sure if we respond in the same way y'all think. Something like losing the power grid would be the start of the end times. 

Why? just because every person under 30 who doesn't work for a tire store can't change a flat tire without a phone is no reason to panic

[Guest Lobo]

I'm assuming we have some sort of anti-EMP weapon defense capability of our own?  One that we'll probably be giving to Russia for $50 and a handjob rather soon?  

[mulletpelini 5216]

Oh fuck yeah we do, stole it from the Japs

[Sawbonz 27588]

5 hours ago, JohnnyRage said:

Why can they not just import poor women from shithole countries? That's what I should do.

If it’s good enough for the president of the United States ....

[FORTY NINE TO ZERO 2652]

3 hours ago, BigHorn'13 said:

Me Chinese, me play joke. 

Me make you think everything a hoax. 

 

We're so vulnerable as a people now, I'm not sure if we respond in the same way y'all think. Something like losing the power grid would be the start of the end times. 

Any ambiguity to what our response would be is dangerous.  If we plan on responding to an emp attack with nukes, it needs to be known. 
 

that said, if we don’t plan on responding with nukes, maybe the ambiguity is a good thing. 
 

happy I’m not in charge of defense policy.   I bet it’s a stressful job.  Thankfully we probably have top men on it.  

[B00M 6463]

3 hours ago, MadBurgerMaker said:

Taking out the US power grid with an EMP is a huge strategic attack that can potentially destroy the country (as we know it at the very least).  That's definitely a nuclear response.  

We've certainly threatened the use of nuclear weapons over far less so this would be a real moment of truth.

I'm a little concerned we're just moving onto our next bogeyman... Russia, The Terror, now China. We will always have an enemy to justify the defense spending. 

Edited July 25, 2020 by B00M
Redundancy dept called

[B00M 6463]

6 hours ago, JohnnyRage said:

Why can they not just import poor women from shithole countries? That's what I should do.

We should air drop them. Peace through pussy program, code name: undefeated

[Armybrat 40911]

25 minutes ago, Xian said:

Any ambiguity to what our response would be is dangerous.  If we plan on responding to an emp attack with nukes, it needs to be known. 
 

happy I’m not in charge of defense policy.   I bet it’s a stressful job.  Thankfully we probably have top men on it.  

Obligatory....

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Armybrat

[Surly Bevo 25152]

I've seen this one.  Famke Jannsen was fucking hot as balls

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

WE MUST NOT ALLOW AN EMP GAP !!!!!!!

[gail the snail 31]

Other countries should not be able to just come here and sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids

[BigHorn'13 3387]

1 hour ago, mulletpelini said:

Why? just because every person under 30 who doesn't work for a tire store can't change a flat tire without a phone is no reason to panic

Why are we vulnerable right now as US citizens? Is that a serious, for real for real, question?

 

And FTR I'm over 30, don't work at a tire store and know how to change a tire without the assistance from a person or the internet. 

[staboner 4987]

this shit is coming. yes, its a cold war. and yes, i hope it stays like that. 

but - that means proxy wars and plenty of shit. i can easily see infrastrucutre attacks in various sattelite players here - Indonesia, Aussie, Taiwan, etc. 

actually, i think the first line is cyber attacks on finance. already happening. the key to this cold war is for the US and allies (Japan, ANZ, SE Asia, Europe I hope) to respond in kind. having subs with nukes IS NOT responding in kind. that is last measure e/o world shit. we need to ensure we can attack their grid, take down the great firewall, make bank accounts go to zero and the like. its a nicely managed tit for tat as our economies uncouple and our poors revolt. 

India and SE Asia are so important. there needs to be coordination there against anything that happens from China. 

Just today again, the Aussies have announced that "there is no legal ground for China to claim the SCS". i fear now this must be a constant effort and use of resources to sway this and the world's view against China

Edited July 26, 2020 by staboner

[FartingMonk 3608]

6 hours ago, Stannis said:

The US Navy has 14 Ohio-Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines.  Each one of those subs carries 20 Trident submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles.  Each of those 20 missiles is a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV), meaning each of the 20 Trident missiles carries up to 12 nuclear warheads (that is, if one Trident missile is launched, it can independently deploy 12 nuclear bombs to 12 independent targets).  In short, our submarine-based strategic nuclear deterrent, by itself, is capable of vaporizing every soul in China many times over.  That doesn't even take into consideration the other two arms of our nuclear triad (land-based ICBMs and strategic bombers). 

I don't think China is going to be taking down our power grid any time soon.

24 missile tubes.