By PNW Staff
September 07, 2026
An #ElectromagneticPulse, or #EMP, can be produced by a #NuclearWeapon detonated high above the #Earth. Unlike a nuclear strike against a city, the primary objective would not necessarily be #destroying buildings or #killing #people through the initial blast.
It would be attacking #electronics and the #ElectricalInfrastructure supporting modern #civilization.
Depending upon the #weapon, #altitude, location and other factors, #electromagnetic effects could potentially disrupt electrical systems across an enormous geographic area. The #Congressional Budget Office has previously noted that a high-altitude EMP could threaten telecommunications, transportation, food distribution, emergency response and banking in addition to the electrical grid itself, although experts disagree about the precise scale of damage that a particular #attack would cause.
That uncertainty should not #obscure the larger problem.