Understanding Electromagnetic Weapons of Mass Destruction
When the US dropped the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, the world was absolutely shocked by the destruction it left in its wake. But while nuclear bombs are devastatingly powerful, they are nothing compared to the new E-bombs.
Source: @PBS Space Time/Youtube
E-bombs, or EMPs, are electromagnetic ordnance that can completely disable all communication systems, shut down radars, and essentially stop entire cities or even nations from functioning.
Killing Millions Through Disrupting Electricity
While it may sound strange to hear that an electrical disruption could cause more widespread damage than a nuclear bomb because modern society absolutely needs electricity to survive, many military experts believe this to be 100% true.
Source: Freepik
Rotem Mey-Tal, CEO of military technology company Asgard Systems, explained, “All the electrical panels, water heaters, water and electrical systems, household appliances, computers, television systems, and even life-saving medical systems [would] stop working.”
The Almost Unbelievable Side Effects of an EMP Attack
It’s difficult to grasp, but if an EMP attack were to happen, hundreds of thousands of people would die immediately. Many would die in hospitals without the necessary machinery to perform surgeries or keep them alive.
Source: Freepik
All cars, even those that aren’t fully electric, would shut down and crash as most run on computer systems, and EMPs destroy conductive chips, too. Trains would derail, and planes would crash. Not to mention, every single phone would be rendered useless, and water would stop running.
Absolute Chaos Would Ensue
Additionally, the city or nation affected by the attack would almost certainly be reduced to utter and complete chaos within hours.
Source: Freepik
Once people realized it was an EMP attack and the power wasn’t coming back, extreme fear would lead to looting, rioting, and violence in no time at all.
Hitting Specific Power Plants Could Shut Down a Nation’s Military
But it’s not just the general population who would be affected. A properly placed EMP attack could completely shut down a nation’s entire government and military.
Source: Freepik
Like most others around the world, the US government and military rely on a fully electronic infrastructure. From all forms of communication to computer-operated planes, missiles, and ground combat vehicles, as well as security and cybersecurity, and most high-tech weapons, the entire military would be all but useless without electricity.
How Do EMPs Work?
Understanding exactly what an EMP can do is slightly easier than trying to grasp how these “bombs” work. EMPs are silent and essentially unnoticeable until they fry the entire city or country’s electronic system.
Source: Freepik
As Mey-Tal explained, an EMP attack can and will “burn out from the inside like in an electrical short,” almost like the after-effects of a lightning strike. Except that, unlike a lightning strike, it is completely invisible.
How Are EMPs Deployed?
EMPs are not bombs in the typical sense of the world. For those who don’t work in electricity, it can be hard to understand, but in the simplest of terms, an EMP is actually a set of electrical wires that are specifically designed to create a magnetic field.
Source: Freepik
The magnetic field can then be ignited, and the electric “explosion” allows gamma rays to collide with the molecules in the atmosphere, creating a much larger electromagnetic field that affects every wire and computer around it.
UAVs Can Release EMPs Up to 250 Feet Above a City
The other terrifying aspect of EMPs is that they can be released by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), otherwise known as a drone, from up to 250 feet above the Earth’s surface.
Source: @The Daily Aviation/YouTube
Therefore, not even an individual enemy soldier needs to be present for the attack. The range of an EMP bomb can vary, but some weapons that exist today can certainly affect hundreds of miles from the detonation site.
Several Counties Already Have EMPs in Their Arsenals
Although an aggressive EMP has yet to be used in warfare, many nations already have EMPs just ready and waiting in their arsenals.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Both Russia and China have the technology to release a catastrophic EMP attack, as do the United States, North Korea, and Iran. In fact, Iran recently supplied Hezbollah with their very own EMP.
An EMP in the Wrong Hands Is Exceptionally Dangerous
It’s quite clear why an EMP would be exceptionally dangerous in the wrong hands, so many people are extremely concerned that the Muslim military group Hezbollah now has one in their hands.
Source: Wikipedia
With the ongoing war between Palestine and Israel, it’s highly likely that Hezbollah will use the EMP sooner than later on one of the many military bases or cities in Israel to destroy the small country’s entire power grid.
The “Cockroaches” Won’t Survive
The terrifying reality of EMPs cannot be underestimated. While, in theory, the technology is not brand new, the current bombs are wildly powerful and, if used, could change the world as we know it.
Source: Freepik
Mey-Tal explained, “Think of the analogy from the 1960s, which describes that in a nuclear explosion, only the cockroaches would survive. In the same vein, in an electromagnetic attack, the ‘cockroaches’ (a nickname for electronic components in electrical circuits) will not survive this time.”