Chinese nuclear scientists urge readiness for electromagnetic pulse attack
- US enhancing its capability and by 2032 will be able to protect vital infrastructure, tipping balance in its favour, the researchers say
- Exploding nuclear weapons at high altitude can produce electromagnetic waves that can cripple power and communication without killing humans
The United States is vulnerable to damage caused by extremely powerful electromagnetic pulses, but by 2032 it will have built up the capability to protect its vital infrastructure from such an attack, according to the Chinese researchers’ assessment, based on their analysis of recent US government and military documents.
That could tip the strategic balance among world powers, requiring China and Russia to step up their defences to guard against a potential US attack, they said.
“The US military has realised that the tactics it used on countries such as Iraq and Yugoslavia are not suitable for competition against major powers, especially China and Russia,” said Feng Hanliang and colleagues from the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology in a paper published in domestic journal Modern Defence Technology last month.
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The explosion of a nuclear weapon at high altitude can produce strong electromagnetic waves. Although power lines and communication towers have shields against common disturbances such as lightning, there is a known limit to their tolerance.
An EMP bomb can breach the protection in civilian facilities and cause massive blackouts. It could be a particularly effective weapon if used against China, according to Feng and colleagues.
Such a bomb could sidestep some of the controversy attached to nuclear weapons because the electromagnetic pulses would do little harm to the body.
“They do not directly kill humans. They cause only minor collateral damage,” they said in the paper. “But they can threaten the security and stability of an entire region or country.”
“We should enhance our awareness of danger, be prepared for danger in times of peace, conduct in-depth research on the threat of EMP attacks, and take the implementation of EMP defences for critical infrastructure seriously,” the researchers said.
Their little-known institute, working under the People’s Liberation Army’s general equipment department, engages in nuclear weapons research, according to openly available information. The assessment of US capability was formed through analysis of US government reports, military documents and laws passed in the US Congress since 2017.
“The US government currently does not have sufficient capacity to evaluate and control EMP threats, and major government departments have basically ignored EMP protection for the country’s critical infrastructure,” they said.
“But some recent documents, policies and measures indicate that the United States has incorporated defence against EMP threats into its national security strategy.”
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In 2019, former US president Donald Trump signed an executive order to coordinate national efforts on EMP defence. A few months later, Congress passed a law to increase the budget for it.
One challenge is that the operation of the US power grid and communication networks can vary from one state to another, with most entities owned by private companies.
A researcher with the state-owned China Power Grid said that fortifying existing infrastructure against EMP attacks would cost an enormous amount of money, but “won’t break the bank”. State ownership may also allow the government to upgrade nationally at speed.
“If a blackout happens, we will be able to rebuild our networks faster than our competitors in the US,” said the researcher, who requested not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to media.
“The winner is not who attacks first, but who recovers first.”
