The U.S. Homeland Security Department (DHS) has issued a new report warning of a “potential” attack on the US of electromagnetic pulses (EMP).
The warning issued by DHS on 2 Sept., 60 days before the U.S. presidential elections of 3 Nov. indicates that there are “subsequent threats against the American homeland that most recently highlight efforts to fight an attack of electromagnetic pulses that could interfere with the electrical grid and damage electronics.”
The DHS published an EMP status report through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which states the “key actions to address critical infrastructure vulnerabilities associated with EMP.”
CISA has warned that an EMP assault could “disrupt, degrade and damage the technology” that is incorporated into critical infrastructure systems.
National blackouts could occur if the EMP damages the electricity grid of the country , leading to further socio-economic turmoil flare-ups.
“EMP attacks are part of the emerging threats to our nation and they demand reaction,” said Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli ‘s Senior Official in Response.
“This is why DHS takes these contingencies seriously, strives to reduce our risks and equip our state and local partners with the resources they need to do the same. We have made significant progress and look forward to working forward, “said Cuccinelli.
CISA Director Chris Krebs said the agency’s highest priority is to mitigate threats associated with EMPs: Zerohedge.com reports:
“Over the last year, we have collaborated on the footprint and effects of threats to EMP across our national critical functions with inter-agency and industrial partners and have developed sustainable, efficient , and cost-effective approaches that will improve the nation’s resilience to EMPs,” said Krebs.
In March 2019, President Trump signed an Executive Order delegating power to EMP preparedness to the White House in order to combat these emerging threats.
Recently, we cited Peter Vincent Pry, former Head of Staff of the EMP Committee of Congress, who has written op-ed that China’s pandemic has “exposed dangerous weaknesses in US planning and preparation for protection and recovery from civil defence. Our potential enemies, China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and international terrorists certainly noticed those weaknesses.”
Pry warned that “China plans to defeat America for a quarter-century with an EMP and the cyber” Pearl Harbor “attack.”
DHS or CISA provided no further information about the ‘evolving threats to the EMP’ in America. Whether the threat could be from a solar storm or EMP weapons was not mentioned. However, in the EMP status report, DHS is currently running EMP pilot tests to assess the infrastructure vulnerability of EMP:
“Finally DHS works with other federal departments and agencies, state , local, tribal and territorial entities, and the private sector to test a stronger critical infrastructure on the ground. DHS and DOE are scheduled and underway a number of field demonstration (and pilot) projects to assess EMP vulnerability and then deploy, evaluate and validate EMP mitigation and protection technologies.
“The San Antonio Electromagnetic Defense Initiative is one such pilot to demonstrate how an entire region can become resilient to an EMP. These pilots are multisector, multipurpose efforts to ensure that key capabilities function in a post-EMP environment and to enable full recovery through the maintenance of those key functions. Working with federal interagent partners, DHS will play an important role in ensuring that communications systems remain in operation and also protect against other threats as cyber attacks through the provision of key protected systems against EMP.
