So it only takes out the electronics in the eastern half of the US. wow big improvement
I’m not worried about the USSR or even China, they aren’t going to do it. Iran, Pakistan or another country with a limited supply of nukes may see this as a way of striking the US.
People like Iran want Armageddon.
Hell the border is so porous al-Qaeda could just drive one across the border in a Tijuana Taxi!
To “only” take out the electronics on the eastern half they still need to increase the size of their payload that they’re getting to that altitude by about 20 fold. Quite a few serious jumps in their technology.
If they want armageddon the best bang for the buck is ground nukes. Cheaper, easier to transport (heck you can ship them in here if you can forge documents), much more destructive. The more limited your supply of nukes the more reason there is to NOT waste any on a silly assed high altitude EMP. Putting one in a truck next to the bull on Wall Street will kill more people with less effort lower traceability and lower failure rate.