Yes, half a dozen delivered by arab proxies who are unaware of who pulls their strings. So our vengeance is directed at the puppets and not the puppet-master (who offers their condolences and help in wiping out the proxies)...
Also, who says they need to survive re-entry. 2-300 mile altitude is where to pop one for maximum EMP effect. That’s the threat that worries me.
A nuke detonated on or near the ground produces a lot of radioactive fallout, as the vaporized dirt, etc., condenses and falls back to earth. Exposure to fallout can lead to serious radiation sickness and/or death. (The bigger the bomb, the more serious the fallout.)
Detonating the device a few thousand feet in the air results in more widespread thermal effect coverage and more severe blast as the shock wave bounces off the ground and combines with the initial wave. (Again, the bigger the bomb ...)
Bottom line ... both detonation styles suck, for different reasons.
Are you “Asking for a friend?”
Curious. I seem to recall NK has 2 satellites which pass over the east and west coasts of the US respectively. If NK had successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead, wouldn’t the sats provide an ideal platform for an EMP attack?
Of course, Kim could always light one or both of the nukes he sent into orbit 2 or 3 years ago. EMP over Europe and/or central North America would be a hoot.
[It’s open sourced information. No one’s talking about it.]
Who says they have to be delivered at all?
They could just blow them up in space.