AWESOME EMP COULD END WAR BEFORE IT STARTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000100150015-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2012
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: December 3, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

SToT
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/29 :CIA-RDP90-009658000100150015-2
ART~CZ~ ~ .` THE WASHINGTON POST
Old pa~~ - ~ ~'~ 3 DECEMBER 1982
Awesorr~e EMP ~ ~ might be `~d off -ea
. survivable discomfort: Back to the
pioneer days; we'd muddle through.
Could Er~d War ;, ..~ What~womea our. sttategic;'think-
' ' - ' ~. .. ers, Hugh,?is..that'EMP inight~e
-~- ~ ,used~to'Irnock out America's top-iev-
~3ef ore It Starts ~ ~, ~eln "c-cubed"_. s,~~d
t ~. - ~ ,
;
~,...~ :? ~ .....
''~ . ~',. ~ z~~oontrol.amd t:ommuriic~ons=that is
#orce, known in the ~backrooms of the strike with g7etaliatoiy attack ;'
Pentagon by the stark` letters EMP, Some Pentagon analysts have'
could end World War ,III before. it speculated that the Soviet Union
started. - might'force the United$tates.to sur-
EMP ,stands for "electromagnetic - render simply by .exploding nuclear
pulse," an awesome force that has bombs 'in ~ space and robbing us of
precipitated some hushed and wor- our strategic retaliation. Our mis-
ried digcussion behind closed doors. sites, after all, depend on electricity
It's still no more than a scientific ~ Put them in motion.
theory mercifully untested.' Before we run up the white .flag,
In language only a scientist would- however, I. should point ~ out that
understand, ahigh-altitude nuclear other experts consider a Soviet EMP
explosion causes gamma rays to col- threat to- be a little .Less awesome
lide with electrons in the air mole- than some persons suggest. '
~" ~" ? ?'"'"~""""" """' Kremlin would still have to worry
tric current that creates electromag- about 'U.S. nuclear-,armed . subma-
netic pulses radiating down toward rives, which would be unaffected by
the earth. any electrical power failure in the
But what EMP means to the rest continental United States.
of us is simply this: If nuclear weap= Mearnvhile; top-secret CIA reports
ons were to be detonated. 200.miles make it clear that the Soviets have
above the United States, the electro- . been performing EMP tests since at
magnetic pulses from the explosion least 1974. So, of course, have our
would almost instantaneously knock scientists. .
out all the electrical power in North No one has the slightest idea who
America. No television, radio, light- - is ahead in the EMP race, but it's
ing, hospital equipment, computers, obvious that no one wants to take
telephones. Total blackout of the the chance that the other side has
entire continent. gained a commanding lead.
The obvious answer to an EMP
attack by the Russians would' be -to
"harden" the, C-cubed facilities eo,
that they could withstand the threat.
`
"But atop-secret.Joint Chiefs ofSkaff
report, obtained by my oseoc
_ .Dale .Van . Atta, shows .:that
~,"~'he ground-based facilitiies av~
attendant -communications of '>Ehe
National Military Command System
probably would be destroyed in the
early stages of a nuclear attack; or
degraded by EI1RPs ,and jamming
attacks," the report warns.
In other words, the control center
at which a pre>3ident would push the
button to retaliate against an enemy.
attack might not work.
In fact, the report notes, the pres-
ident's control center could be 'so
badly disrupted by an EMP attack
that its "ability to execute a coordi-
nated strategic nuclear response to ;
attack could become questionable."
The Joint Chiefs are also worried
that, without equipment hardened
against EMP effects, the ability to
inform headquarters of a nuclear
attack by Soviet submarine missiles
might not come "insufficient time to
respond before missile impact''on
Washington, D:C." ` - .
Defense contractors are naw work-
` ing on electrical systems that wi71 be
immune to electromagnetic ~ pulse
effects.
The Pentagon just hopes they'll
find a solution in time. _
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/29 :CIA-RDP90-009658000100150015-2