Posted on 05/12/2019 4:29:37 AM PDT by mulder1
“The US military recently wargamed an EMP scenario where container launched small nukes fried the US grid.”
Some prepper suppliers recently decided to scare some dimwits into believing this is a plausible scenario. This so they would keep buying their books, supplies and bullshit.
Because smart, educated people know it would take AT LEAST 100, 1MT explosions at 100 miles altitude to shut down the US grid.
Even then some of it would survive.
What the are not telling you, and trying to scare you with to try to make Trump look inadequate, is in late March, the U.S. Missile Defense agency said that during a test of the ground and sea-based Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) sensors successfully provided data to the Command, Control, Battle Management and Communication (C2BMC) system, which then prompted the launch of two interceptor missiles from Vandenberg AFB, on the left coast. Both hit targets in space.
At the same time, if an enemy tries to launch ICBMs to destroy American cities our new drones with powerful laser weapons can, also, blast them out of the sky. And rather than play defense, launching interceptors from home soil and warships while the ICBMs head towards impact, these incredible drones could pre-emptively patrol enemy skies for more than a day without ever having to land or refuel. Once a missile launch is detected, armed with its new laser system, the drone can target and destroy enemy missiles as they are literally leaving the launch pad. There has been no information concerning where and when these weapon systems have been deployed for security reasons. But their existence is public even though it is overlooked by the “main stream media” like CNN. But they’re doing their part and earning the lib wages.
rwood
“we are not talking about a crate or two or even hundreds but thousands of advanced (guided) missiles”
Nonsense.
They don’t even have ONE of those.
Sorry, but those missiles have already been used - mostly against Israel - they exist and there are a lot of them - Hezbollah has been busy retrofitting older missiles in their factories in Syria as well as receiving a steady supply of newer advanced missiles directly from Iran to their bases in Syria. Have you missed the series of bombings by Israel on those Syrian bases by Israel in the past 6 months?
The Iranian Badr 3 was used in the last Hamas 700 missile barrage on Israel a week ago. They fired lots of Fateh-110s as well and so on.
Advanced means they are guided and likely have some sort of counter measure. That does not mean they are on par with similar ranged Western missiles, but they are deadly.
Meanwhile, Trump is killing Iran.
In the process, the funding for such surrogate warriors is drying up
I hope we have some Boomers in the strike group.
Part of your reply is correct. The specific launch vehicle employed in the war game is incapable of taking a payload exoatmospheric. But the point of the war game was to let the military experience the effects of a loss of traditional power. The net is that the US military, domestically, is way too dependent on civilian infrastructure. Power, water, food, logistics, you name it.
I work in the cyber/RF world, and have consulted to power companies, AND also have worked with DHS folks who would rate our ability to survive a cyber or EMP attack on our grid as a 2 on a 5 scale. Also kinetic/physical attacks against key distribution ‘choke points’ are way too easy to conduct, if coordinated. Not good.
I disagree with you on the required number or ‘throw weight’ required to shut down the grid. Nukes can be tuned to maximize their ability to generate xrays versus other effects, thus maximizing their ability to generate a broadly disruptive and damaged HEMP. HEMP’s three pulses are the problem. I am confident we could withstand a CME which is really only a threat to un protected long line antennae.
FWIW, most EMP scenarios vary the impact, with destruction of step down transformers for instance ranging from 10-70%. The outcomes are all bad.
I believe you are unwise to dismiss the cyber, local-kinetic, and HEMP vulnerabilities of the grid. Have a good backup on hand. Even in the 10% scenarios, it could be 2-4 months with zero or spotty grid service.
You make the call for you and yours.
There are various types of EMP weapon systems. And yes is the answer.
BTW, I am a very smart, very well educated person.
The Badr 3(4 of which were recently used) is essentially Rocket Artillery.
Guided Missile is a far reach.
The Fateh-110 is a short-range, road-mobile, solid-propellant ballistic missile. It is most likely a modified version of the unguided Zelzal-2, with the addition of control and guidance systems; third generation of the missile increased the range to 300 km. Zelzal-2 is likely the missile being upgraded with the Fateh-110 guidance package. The upgrade qualifies the Zelzal-2 as an advanced upgrade.
Then there are these guided missiles:
Sejjil-2, two-stage solid-fuel missile, range of nearly 2,500 km
Ashoura, two-stage solid-fuel missile, range of 2,000 km
My point was that NONE of the indigenous Iranian missiles could be called a “modern, guided missile”.
And none of their most “modern” were recently used against Israel. Though it is rumored Hezbollah has a bunch of them, they dare not launch them seriously.
Their most advanced is late 40s. early 50s tech. They still have celebrations when one of them actually hits near target.
Still, when you’re talking about a range of 300km and a 250lb warhead...and “city block” CEP, it’s Rocket Artillery.
So a city block has shrunk to 20 meters these days ... I never said “modern guided missile”, I said advanced - not the same thing and I specifically said not up to par with western missiles.
They will launch them when Iran tells them to ...
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