Latest news with #EMP
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Can Trump's pricey 'Golden Dome' missile defence system be done?
Warheads raining down from beyond the Earth's atmosphere. Faster-than-sound cruise missiles striking US infrastructure. Sky-high nuclear are just some of the nightmarish scenarios that experts warn could come true if the US's dated and limited defence systems were overwhelmed in a future high-tech a single, relatively small nuclear detonation hundreds of miles above the heads of Americans would create an electromagnetic pulse - or EMP - that would have apocalyptic results. Planes would fall out of the sky across the country. Everything from handheld electronics and medical devices to water systems would be rendered completely useless."We wouldn't be going back 100 years," said William Fortschen, an author and weapons researcher at Montreat College in North Carolina. "We'd lose it all, and we don't know how to rebuild it. It would be the equivalent of us going back 1,000 years and having to start from scratch."In response to these hypothetical - but experts say quite possible - threats, US President Donald Trump has set his eyes on a "next generation" missile shield: the Golden while many experts agree that building such a system is necessary, its high cost and logistical complexity will make Trump's mission to bolster America's missile defences extremely challenging. An executive order calling for the creation of what was initially termed the "Iron Dome for America" noted that the threat of next-generation weapons has "become more intense and complex" over time, a potentially "catastrophic" scenario for the Bazylczyk, a missile defence expert at the Washington DC-headquartered Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the BBC that existing systems are geared towards intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, such as those used by North Korea. But powerful nations like Russia and China are also investing in newer technologies that could strike not just neighbours, but adversaries an ocean the threats publicly identified by US defence officials are hypersonic weapons able to move faster than the speed of sound and fractional orbital bombardment systems - also called Fobs - that could deliver warheads from - even in limited numbers - are deadly. "The Golden Dome sort of re-orients our missile defence policy towards our great power competitors," Ms Bazylczyk said. "Our adversaries are investing in long-range strike capabilities, including things that aren't your typical missiles that we've been dealing with for years." What will the 'Golden Dome' look like? The White House and defence officials have so far provided few concrete details about what the Golden Dome - which is still in its conceptual stages - would actually look like. Speaking alongside Trump in the Oval Office on 20 May, defence secretary Pete Hegseth said only that the system will have multiple layers "across the land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors".Trump added that the system will be capable of intercepting missiles "even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they are launched in space", with various aspects of the programme based as far afield as Florida, Indiana and previous testimony in Congress, the newly named overseer of the programme, Space Force General Michael Guetlein, said that the Golden Dome will build on existing systems that are largely aimed at traditional ICBMs. A new system would - add multiple layers that could also detect and defend against cruise missiles and other threats, including by intercepting them before they launch or at the various stages of their flight. Currently, the US Missile Defence Agency largely relies on 44 ground-based interceptors based in Alaska and California, designed to combat a limited missile attack. Experts have warned that the existing system is woefully inadequate if the US homeland were to be attacked by Russia and China, each of which has an expanded arsenal of hundreds of ICBMs and thousands of cruise missiles. "[Current systems] were created for North Korea," said Dr Stacie Pettyjohn, a defence expert at the Center for a New American Security. "It could never intercept a big arsenal like Russia's, or even a much smaller one like China's." The Congressional Research Office, or CBO, has said that "hundreds or thousands" of space-based platforms would be necessary to "provide even a minimal defence" against incoming missiles - a potentially enormously expensive proposition. Israel's Iron Dome: an example? Trump first revealed his concept for the Golden Dome during a joint address to Congress in March, when he said that "Israel has it, other places have it, and the United States should have it too".The president was referring to Israel's "Iron Dome" system, which the country has used to intercept rockets and missiles since Iron Dome, however, is designed to intercept shorter-range threats, while two other systems - known as David's Sling and the Arrow - combat larger ballistic missiles such as those that have been fired by Iran and the Houthis in Yemen. Ms Bazylczyk described the Iron Dome as geared towards "lower tier" threats, such as rockets fired from Gaza or southern Lebanon. The Golden Dome would go beyond that, to detect longer range missiles as well, she said. To accomplish that, she said it will need to combine different capabilities. "And I'll be looking out for the command and control system that can weave all of this together," she said, noting that such a thing does not currently exist. Can it be done? Creating that system will be an incredibly complicated - and costly - proposition. In the Oval Office, Trump suggested that the Golden Dome could be completed by the end of his term, with a total cost of $175bn over time, including an initial investment of $25bn already earmarked for it. His estimate is far out of sync with the CBO's, which has put the potential price tag at $542bn over 20 years on the space-based systems alone. Experts have said the total cost could eventually soak up a large chunk of the massive US defence budget. "I think that's unrealistic," said Dr Pettyjohn. "This is complicated, with multiple systems that need to be integrated together. Every one of those steps has its own risks, costs and schedules." "And going fast is going to add more cost and risk," she added. "You're likely to produce something that isn't going to be as thoroughly evaluated... there are going to be failures along the way, and what you produce may need major overhauls." The creation of the Golden Dome has also sparked fears that it may lead to a new "arms race", with US foes gearing up their own efforts to find ways to overwhelm or circumvent its defences. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, for example, told reporters that the plan "heightens the risk of space becoming a battlefield". Those involved in researching worst-case scenarios and US defence policy downplay these concerns. Potential foes, they argue, are already investing heavily in offensive capabilities. "The Golden Dome aims to change the strategic calculus of our adversaries," said Ms Bazylczyk. "Improving homeland air and missile defences reduces the confidence of a potential attacker in achieving whatever objectives they seek.""It raises the threshold for them to engage in this attack," she added. "And it contributes to overall deterrence." Even a partially completed Golden Dome, Mr Fortschen said, could prevent a nightmare scenario from taking place. "I will breathe a lot easier," he said. "We need that type of system. The Golden Dome is the answer."
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - China has an off-switch for America, and we aren't ready to deal with it.
Imagine waking up tomorrow and your phone has no signal. Your smart home isn't working. Your Ring camera is offline. You get in your car, but your GPS won't route. Worse, every traffic light in town is out. Intersections are a mess of blaring horns and confusion. Sirens echo in the distance. You drive to an ATM, hoping to grab some cash. The screen flickers, then goes black. It's not just your neighborhood. It's not just your state. The entire nation has gone dark. This scenario is digital darkness, caused by China's 'off-switch' for America. It is the penultimate step in China's strategy to defeat America before gunning for global control. So-called 'assassin's maces' play a central role in China's plan to become the world's sole superpower by 2049. Of the many known assassin's maces, four demand immediate attention: 1) Tactical Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Weapons: China develops tactical EMP weapons that can disable entire regions by targeting civilian infrastructure America relies on to function. These compact pulse generators can hover above unprotected data centers, destroying electronics inside with pinpoint electromagnetic blasts. Several dozen well-coordinated EMP strikes could wipe out cloud infrastructure, disrupting America's power, transportation, communications and financial systems nationwide. 2) Deep Sea Fiber Cuts: Over 95 percent of global internet traffic travels through undersea fiber cables. China recently unveiled deep-sea cable cutters capable of severing cables at extreme depths. Recent disruptions near Taiwan and the Baltic Sea suggest these tools are already in use. Cutting a few lines disrupts global communications instantly and fractures U.S. military coordination. 3) Anti-Satellite Weapons: As America stockpiles low earth orbit satellites, China expands its anti-satellite arsenal to include missiles, parasitic satellites and lasers designed to disable or destroy orbital assets. In March 2025, the U.S. Space Force reported that Chinese satellites performed aggressive 'dogfighting' maneuvers in orbit. This capability allows China to carry out precise strikes designed to trigger the dreaded Kessler Cascade, a chain reaction of satellite collisions capable of destroying all low earth orbit satellites within days, crippling internet, communications and surveillance systems. 4) Cyber Attacks: China's cyber weapons are the most deeply embedded assassin's mace. Just this week, U.S. investigators uncovered rogue communication devices hidden in Chinese-made solar inverters and batteries. Such undocumented components can bypass firewalls, allowing China to remotely monitor, destabilize and disable critical infrastructure. Chinese-made chips, routers and switches embedded throughout U.S. networks contain dormant firmware that, upon activation, could place critical U.S. infrastructure under Chinese Communist Party command. The Chinese army's 'blended domains' philosophy strips traditional boundaries between war and peace. An omnipresent battlefield erases any line between military and civilian enterprise. The doctrine is described in 'Unrestricted Warfare,' the 1999 book in which Chinese military leaders promote the use of psychological, technological and informational attacks to undermine and subsequently overwhelm America. Under this approach, China targets power grids, satellites, telecom networks and data centers to exploit a critical U.S. vulnerability: when building digital infrastructure, we tend to optimize for return on investment, which inversely correlates to premium cost and time to market. As a result, most of our digital infrastructure — including hyper-scaler data centers where we house 'the cloud,' fiber switches and internet service provider networks — aren't designed to withstand deliberate, coordinated attacks. Chinese strategists studied weaknesses in our civilian infrastructure closely, then carefully designed their maces for maximum leverage. China is ready to deploy its maces when the 'moment of Shi' arrives — the point at which they will proceed to the next step in their stated goal to become the world's only superpower. Meanwhile, America's digital infrastructure remains dangerously exposed. Congress must make digital resilience a national security imperative to strengthen America's most vulnerable systems through immediate, coordinated actions: Adopt 'blended domains' as a first principle by treating civilian infrastructure as part of national defense, requiring military-grade protection and coordination with the Department of Defense. Fund efforts to harden America's digital backbone through diversified transmission pathways, physical hardening, electromagnetic shielding and distributed data systems. Reallocate Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program non-deployment funds to protect critical infrastructure from targeted attacks. Increase Space Force funding to enhance orbital defense capabilities while fast-tracking procurement from innovators like SpaceX, Astranis and Impulse Space. Invest in nimble, tech-forward defense startups like Anduril, Shield AI, Saronic and Onebrief to accelerate the development of resilient systems that will keep America online. Integrate FCC spectrum resilience efforts into broader defense planning to safeguard U.S. terrestrial and orbital communications. With strategic action, we can and must ensure America is ready for any road ahead. Jase Wilson works on utility infrastructure innovation at a company dedicated to strengthening America's digital backbone. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
China has an off-switch for America, and we aren't ready to deal with it.
Imagine waking up tomorrow and your phone has no signal. Your smart home isn't working. Your Ring camera is offline. You get in your car, but your GPS won't route. Worse, every traffic light in town is out. Intersections are a mess of blaring horns and confusion. Sirens echo in the distance. You drive to an ATM, hoping to grab some cash. The screen flickers, then goes black. It's not just your neighborhood. It's not just your state. The entire nation has gone dark. This scenario is digital darkness, caused by China's 'off-switch' for America. It is the penultimate step in China's strategy to defeat America before gunning for global control. So-called 'assassin's maces' play a central role in China's plan to become the world's sole superpower by 2049. Of the many known assassin's maces, four demand immediate attention: 1) Tactical Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Weapons: China develops tactical EMP weapons that can disable entire regions by targeting civilian infrastructure America relies on to function. These compact pulse generators can hover above unprotected data centers, destroying electronics inside with pinpoint electromagnetic blasts. Several dozen well-coordinated EMP strikes could wipe out cloud infrastructure, disrupting America's power, transportation, communications and financial systems nationwide. 2) Deep Sea Fiber Cuts: Over 95 percent of global internet traffic travels through undersea fiber cables. China recently unveiled deep-sea cable cutters capable of severing cables at extreme depths. Recent disruptions near Taiwan and the Baltic Sea suggest these tools are already in use. Cutting a few lines disrupts global communications instantly and fractures U.S. military coordination. 3) Anti-Satellite Weapons: As America stockpiles low earth orbit satellites, China expands its anti-satellite arsenal to include missiles, parasitic satellites and lasers designed to disable or destroy orbital assets. In March 2025, the U.S. Space Force reported that Chinese satellites performed aggressive 'dogfighting' maneuvers in orbit. This capability allows China to carry out precise strikes designed to trigger the dreaded Kessler Cascade, a chain reaction of satellite collisions capable of destroying all low earth orbit satellites within days, crippling internet, communications and surveillance systems. 4) Cyber Attacks: China's cyber weapons are the most deeply embedded assassin's mace. Just this week, U.S. investigators uncovered rogue communication devices hidden in Chinese-made solar inverters and batteries. Such undocumented components can bypass firewalls, allowing China to remotely monitor, destabilize and disable critical infrastructure. Chinese-made chips, routers and switches embedded throughout U.S. networks contain dormant firmware that, upon activation, could place critical U.S. infrastructure under Chinese Communist Party command. The Chinese army's 'blended domains' philosophy strips traditional boundaries between war and peace. An omnipresent battlefield erases any line between military and civilian enterprise. The doctrine is described in 'Unrestricted Warfare,' the 1999 book in which Chinese military leaders promote the use of psychological, technological and informational attacks to undermine and subsequently overwhelm America. Under this approach, China targets power grids, satellites, telecom networks and data centers to exploit a critical U.S. vulnerability: when building digital infrastructure, we tend to optimize for return on investment, which inversely correlates to premium cost and time to market. As a result, most of our digital infrastructure — including hyper-scaler data centers where we house 'the cloud,' fiber switches and internet service provider networks — aren't designed to withstand deliberate, coordinated attacks. Chinese strategists studied weaknesses in our civilian infrastructure closely, then carefully designed their maces for maximum leverage. China is ready to deploy its maces when the 'moment of Shi' arrives — the point at which they will proceed to the next step in their stated goal to become the world's only superpower. Meanwhile, America's digital infrastructure remains dangerously exposed. Congress must make digital resilience a national security imperative to strengthen America's most vulnerable systems through immediate, coordinated actions: With strategic action, we can and must ensure America is ready for any road ahead. Jase Wilson works on utility infrastructure innovation at a company dedicated to strengthening America's digital backbone.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Is America's power grid ready for next attack? Experts warn EMPs, cyber threats and AI could cripple US
The widespread blackouts that recently brought parts of Spain and Portugal to a standstill triggered global speculation: was it an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack? Though authorities later ruled out an EMP, the incident reignited urgent questions about America's vulnerability to similar large-scale disruptions and whether the U.S. is prepared for a modern-day "black sky" event. According to cybersecurity expert and former Army Cyber Institute board member Bryson Bort, the United States remains dangerously exposed to a range of threats: not just EMPs, but increasingly sophisticated cyber and artificial intelligence (AI) attacks. "There are a lot of other problems that are higher probability," Bort told Fox News Digital. "The EMP thing is a little bit of a distraction – but that doesn't mean it's not a threat." HOW CHINA'S CYBERESPIONAGE HAS CHANGED An EMP is a sudden burst of electromagnetic energy capable of disabling electronic devices across vast areas. It can be natural – from a solar flare – or man-made, triggered by a high-altitude nuclear detonation. Read On The Fox News App Unlike cyberattacks that target software, an EMP disables physical systems: from car engines and cellphone towers to hospital generators and water pumps. A major attack could throw society back to the pre-electric age, with devastating consequences. Former CIA Director James Woolsey once called EMPs "one of the greatest national vulnerabilities," and some estimates suggest an EMP could result in the deaths of up to 90% of Americans within a year due to the collapse of infrastructure. "The very first thing you've got to lose is your water supply," said Dr. William Forstchen, a longtime EMP researcher. "Within days, nursing homes, hospitals, law enforcement – they're all in deep trouble." While the Trump administration issued an executive order directing federal agencies to prepare for such an event, Bort said implementation has been inconsistent and fragmented. "We are not prepared for this at all," he warned. Forstchen expressed optimism that the administration's "Golden Dome" project, a proposed ground-and space-based defense system, could intercept EMP threats – but the project remains years from completion. Nuclear Emp Attack Moves To Big Screen As Author Reflects On 'Invisible Lifeline' While EMP attacks remain the stuff of both national security nightmares and Hollywood scripts, experts say cyberattacks are far more probable and still highly destructive. "We know that the Chinese have been in the American civilian critical infrastructure since 2010," Bort said. "They haven't done anything yet, but they are absolutely in there and setting up to do something at some point." This week, Reuters reported that U.S. officials found communication modules embedded in Chinese-made power inverters – devices used to connect solar panels and wind turbines to the grid. Bort pointed to "Jack Voltaic," a multi-year cyber warfare simulation by the Army Cyber Institute, designed to test military-civilian coordination in response to attacks on critical infrastructure. "What we found is there's a great interdependence," he said. "You can't even have an electric grid if you don't have water – because you can't cool it." Bort said cyberattacks are often the product of long-term reconnaissance, with hackers quietly positioning themselves inside systems for months or years. "A cyberattack is not something where Putin says, 'Hey, hit Detroit tomorrow,'" he explained. "It's already set in place. When the political situation calls for it, that's when the trigger gets pulled." Another, less understood, threat to America's infrastructure is the rise of AI. In particular, the race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), or AI systems with human-level cognitive abilities. Tyler Saltzman, a military technologist working on AI systems capable of operating in disconnected environments like an EMP aftermath, warned that AI – if used maliciously – could bring the grid down entirely. "Our infrastructure is very fragile," Saltzman said. "All you need to do is take down our power grid, and we're in complete chaos." Saltzman expressed deep concern about efforts to create AGI – systems he says could eventually surpass human control. "Once AGI comes online, it could easily take down our power grid, infiltrate our financial systems, destroy our economy," he said. "If it sees how violent humans are to each other, why would it serve us?" In 2023, a Chinese surveillance balloon drifted over U.S. territory for days before it was shot down by the military. While believed to be for spying, defense officials note that a high-altitude balloon could be used for electronic warfare – including an EMP. The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from EMP Attacks has long warned about balloon-based delivery. Others argue a missile would be more effective, since it would be harder to intercept. Whether the next major threat comes from above or from a keyboard, experts agree: the U.S. is not ready. "We're still thinking about wars with tanks," Bort said. "Meanwhile, the real fight is already happening inside our infrastructure."Original article source: Is America's power grid ready for next attack? Experts warn EMPs, cyber threats and AI could cripple US
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Science
- Fox News
Is America's power grid ready for next attack? Experts warn EMPs, cyber threats and AI could cripple US
Print Close By Morgan Phillips Published May 19, 2025 The widespread blackouts that recently brought parts of Spain and Portugal to a standstill triggered global speculation: was it an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack? Though authorities later ruled out an EMP, the incident reignited urgent questions about America's vulnerability to similar large-scale disruptions and whether the U.S. is prepared for a modern-day "black sky" event. According to cybersecurity expert and former Army Cyber Institute board member Bryson Bort, the United States remains dangerously exposed to a range of threats: not just EMPs, but increasingly sophisticated cyber and artificial intelligence (AI) attacks. "There are a lot of other problems that are higher probability," Bort told Fox News Digital. "The EMP thing is a little bit of a distraction – but that doesn't mean it's not a threat." HOW CHINA'S CYBERESPIONAGE HAS CHANGED EMP: The catastrophic potential that looms An EMP is a sudden burst of electromagnetic energy capable of disabling electronic devices across vast areas. It can be natural – from a solar flare – or man-made, triggered by a high-altitude nuclear detonation. Unlike cyberattacks that target software, an EMP disables physical systems: from car engines and cellphone towers to hospital generators and water pumps. A major attack could throw society back to the pre-electric age, with devastating consequences. Former CIA Director James Woolsey once called EMPs "one of the greatest national vulnerabilities," and some estimates suggest an EMP could result in the deaths of up to 90% of Americans within a year due to the collapse of infrastructure. "The very first thing you've got to lose is your water supply," said Dr. William Forstchen, a longtime EMP researcher. "Within days, nursing homes, hospitals, law enforcement – they're all in deep trouble." While the Trump administration issued an executive order directing federal agencies to prepare for such an event, Bort said implementation has been inconsistent and fragmented. "We are not prepared for this at all," he warned. Forstchen expressed optimism that the administration's "Golden Dome" project, a proposed ground-and space-based defense system, could intercept EMP threats – but the project remains years from completion. NUCLEAR EMP ATTACK MOVES TO BIG SCREEN AS AUTHOR REFLECTS ON 'INVISIBLE LIFELINE' Cyber attacks: The more likely threat While EMP attacks remain the stuff of both national security nightmares and Hollywood scripts, experts say cyberattacks are far more probable and still highly destructive. "We know that the Chinese have been in the American civilian critical infrastructure since 2010," Bort said. "They haven't done anything yet, but they are absolutely in there and setting up to do something at some point." This week, Reuters reported that U.S. officials found communication modules embedded in Chinese-made power inverters – devices used to connect solar panels and wind turbines to the grid. Bort pointed to "Jack Voltaic," a multi-year cyber warfare simulation by the Army Cyber Institute, designed to test military-civilian coordination in response to attacks on critical infrastructure. "What we found is there's a great interdependence," he said. "You can't even have an electric grid if you don't have water – because you can't cool it." Bort said cyberattacks are often the product of long-term reconnaissance, with hackers quietly positioning themselves inside systems for months or years. "A cyberattack is not something where Putin says, 'Hey, hit Detroit tomorrow,'" he explained. "It's already set in place. When the political situation calls for it, that's when the trigger gets pulled." AI and AGI: A future threat growing fast Another, less understood, threat to America's infrastructure is the rise of AI. In particular, the race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), or AI systems with human-level cognitive abilities. Tyler Saltzman, a military technologist working on AI systems capable of operating in disconnected environments like an EMP aftermath, warned that AI – if used maliciously – could bring the grid down entirely. "Our infrastructure is very fragile," Saltzman said. "All you need to do is take down our power grid, and we're in complete chaos." Saltzman expressed deep concern about efforts to create AGI – systems he says could eventually surpass human control. "Once AGI comes online, it could easily take down our power grid, infiltrate our financial systems, destroy our economy," he said. "If it sees how violent humans are to each other, why would it serve us?" The balloon warning – and what comes next In 2023, a Chinese surveillance balloon drifted over U.S. territory for days before it was shot down by the military. While believed to be for spying, defense officials note that a high-altitude balloon could be used for electronic warfare – including an EMP. The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from EMP Attacks has long warned about balloon-based delivery. Others argue a missile would be more effective, since it would be harder to intercept. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Whether the next major threat comes from above or from a keyboard, experts agree: the U.S. is not ready. "We're still thinking about wars with tanks," Bort said. "Meanwhile, the real fight is already happening inside our infrastructure." Print Close URL
