Last week, 16 House Republicans called for including as much as $250 million for the U.S. East Coast missile defense site. This is a step in the right direction. All the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) interceptors that can shoot down long-range ballistic missiles are currently located on the West Coast; …
Last week, NASA observed the largest solar flare of the year. The coronal mass ejection was one “powerful enough to cause a brief radio blackout.” Indeed, there were some small instances of radio interference last week following the solar flare. While the event made for some spectacular photographs, it also …
A recent National Journal article discussed the likelihood of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) over the United States with skepticism, asking whether such activists and politicians are “[d]oomsday preppers or congressional visionaries” and claiming that the “the debate over the urgency remains stuck in a theoretical realm.” But the EMP threat …
Two scholars from the congressionally mandated 2010 Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack make the case to protect the U.S. from a potentially catastrophic nuclear EMP attack on the U.S. by terrorists or rogue states. William Radasky and Peter Vincent Pry rebut …
There is strategic value in using space systems for military operations, which have changed the American way of warfare. Because of their immense value to security, they require funding for space protection and a responsive launch capability in order to make them more resilient to attack. A new Heritage Special …
On October 16, Boeing and the U.S. Air Force made history when they successfully test-launched a new missile with the capability of remotely disrupting or disabling an enemy’s electronics while inflicting little or no collateral damage. The weapon, developed under the Counter-Electronics High-Powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP), never actually …
In testimony delivered on September 12, Brandon Wales, director of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Infrastructure Threat and Risk Analysis Center, admitted that DHS remains unprepared for the possibility of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) event or attack. Wales testified that the nation’s power grid is more vulnerable now than …
On Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies will hold a hearing on the consequences of an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) attack. This is a good first step to raise awareness about the issue. An EMP, a high-intensity burst of electromagnetic energy caused by a rapid acceleration …
This week, Heritage observed National EMP Awareness Day. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on the United States would have truly devastating effects. An attack would change the “very fabric of U.S. society,” and millions could potentially lose their lives in the aftermath. Yet as the name “EMP Awareness Day” suggests, …