You’re likely already familiar with the 2009 EMP Commission Report. It was this report that raised the issue of EMP-preparedness for the American public. It’s notorious stating that just one year after an EMP attack, 90% of the American population would be dead, caused alarm throughout multiple sectors of society.
Books began to be written on the subject. Sales of Tedd Koppel’s Lights Out, Forstchen’s One Second After, and Crawford’s Lights Out quickly reached blockbuster levels. And while I believe that these books (and that report) brought the issue of an electromagnetic pulse to light for Americans, I don’t believe it showed Americans just how real of a threat it is.
To truly understand just how very real of a risk this is, I believe all we have to do is look at the battle plans of some of the nations that hate America most.
Let’s start with Russia
**Non-Contact Warfare was the name of Russian General Vladimir Slipchenko’s military textbook. Within this text, he explains how EMPs are the greatest revolution in military affairs in history. According to Slipchenko, the possession of an EMP renders an enemy’s armies, navies, and air forces completely obsolete, and it’s hard to argue with him there.
If you can’t get your missile defense systems online, if your tanks won’t run, if your planes have all just fallen out of the sky, you’re kind of screwed, aren’t you?
The flagship journal of the Russian General Staff, Military Thought, further echoes this concept. An article within the journal titled “Weak Points of the US Concept of Network-Centric Warfare” specifically points out the use of an EMP as a possible means of defeating the US.
Aside from the concern that comes from foreign military journals, specifically hatching battle plans against your country, Russia now possesses what is known as a “Super-EMP.” A weapon of drastically increased pulse amplitude capable of disabling spacecraft, radar sites, ICBMs, energy supply systems, military command systems, and economies as well.
And to top things off, it’s designed as a first-strike weapon—just food for thought. As of 2017, the US had no Super EMPs (that the public was aware of).
What About China?
Things are no different here. EMP capabilities, theory, and defenses seem to be going relatively fast here, just like Russia.
In the PLA textbook The Third World War – Total Information Warfare, author Shen Weiguang notes the importance of developing China’s EMP defenses to neutralize and check the US if needed.
Other Chinese military journal articles specifically state that the US “is more vulnerable than any other country in the world” to EMP attacks. I believe that this singling out of Americans should cause eyebrows to be raised.
Iran
In Iran, not only are EMP attacks fully endorsed but battle plans for their use are being drawn up as well. Military textbook Passive Defense – published in 2010 – echoes Russian General Slipchenko’s ideas on EM. **Former Director of the CIA, James Woolsey, points out that “Tehran’s military is planning to be able to make a nuclear EMP attack…”
Woolsey goes on to say, “Passive Defense and other Iranian military writings are well aware that nuclear EMP attack is the most efficient way of killing people, through secondary effects, over the long run. The rationale appears to be that people starve to death, not because of EMP, but because they live in materialistic societies dependent upon modern technology.”
Another Iranian military journal, in an article titled “Electronics to Determine Fate of Future Wars,” notes that the key to defeating the United States is through an EMP attack. The article goes on to say, “if the world’s industrial countries fail to devise effective ways to defend themselves against dangerous electronic assaults, then they will disintegrate within a few years….American soldiers would not be able to find food to eat nor would they be able to fire a single shot.”
Whether this is a veiled threat or not is up for you to decide
What I will expressly state is that Iran is gearing up for the capability of doing such. **We know that they’ve reportedly attempted to purchase radiofrequency weapons from Russia, that the Iranian news agency MEHR reported Iran is protecting itself against EMP attack. Ambassador Henry Cooper, former Director of the Strategic Defense Initiative, has also warned that some Iranian satellite launches appear to be practice for such an attack against the US.
Our next nation on this list seems to have taken things just a bit further, though.
North Korea
What did you expect? Of course, they would make this list!
**On April 9, 2013, North Korea’s KMS-3 satellite orbited the US at the perfect trajectory to evade US early warning radars and National Missile Defenses. And all while at the ideal altitude and location to launch an EMP field over the continental US.
**On April 16, 2013, they did it again – this time orbiting the satellite over the DC-NYC corridor. If an EMP had been activated, we would have lost the entire Eastern Grid, where 75% of US electricity comes from. On that very same day, unknown parties used Ak-47s to attack the Metcalf transformer substation that services Silicon Valley as well.
Coincidence?
In July of 2013, a North Korean freighter was found in the Panama Canal after passing through the Gulf of Mexico with SA-2 missiles mounted on their launchers hidden under bags of sugar. While the missiles weren’t armed at the time, they were of the type that could very easily have been used to execute an anonymous EMP attack via offshore freighter.
At a House hearing October 12, 2017, experts warned members of Congress that a North Korean EMP attack could kill 90% of Americans within one year, calling it an “existential threat.”
[ Source ]
What about in the states?
While electric power lobbyists are fighting against EMP protection of the US grid in Washington, it seems like the rest of the world is doing the opposite. This doesn’t seem to make much sense from a self-preservation standpoint, does it?
However, it’s not all bad news.
Whether you like him or not – Donald Trump seems to have been the first president in years to have done anything to better prepare the USA against an EMP attack.
On October 13, 2016, Obama signed Executive Order 13744 – Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events. While this was most certainly not directed towards EMP preparedness, the fact of the matter is that space weather and EMP preparedness often overlap.
A few short years later, on March 26, 2019, Trump signed Executive Order 13865 – Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses. It was here that EMP-preparedness seemed to become a priority of the US military. Shortly after this EO was given, the Department of Homeland Security began investigated research-proven techniques to better protect critical American infrastructure against EMP attack. (Likely the most significant step that the US government has taken to date to defend itself against an EMP.)
Final thoughts
So while the US has taken some steps to better research what we can do to protect ourselves against EMP, it doesn’t appear as if we’re anywhere near as ready as many other nations worldwide are – particularly those who would love to see America fall.
What conclusions can we draw from such? I’ll leave that up to you to decide, but just know, for the moment, it looks as if we’re showing up to a fight empty-handed.
Daisy wrote a piece, How to Make a Faraday Cage in 4 Easy Steps, you may find useful. There is information on what a faraday cage is for and why you may need one.
What are your thoughts on EMP? Have you been paying attention to what’s being done in this field? Let us know in the comments below!
**NOTE: All of the above information is readily available by reading EMP expert Dr. Pry’s 2017 Report to the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack. It’s a more extended file, but it’s in the public domain, and you can easily access it HERE. I believe it’s well worth the read. For those seeking more references to the subject, you can find that HERE.
About the Author
Jeff Thompson is an avid fisherman who likes to spend time sailing on his boat and reading while at sea.
Ignoring the possibility of EMP attack during a war is criminally stupid. If one side had such a weapon and did not use it as a first strike, it would certainly be used as a weapon of last resort. Not preparing is tantamount to saying that most of our population’s death is a desirable result. However, war is only one source of EMP damage. The other source is our sun.
Space weather events in the form of solar flare-related geomagnetic storms occur regularly, although they usually don’t create total havoc. The Carrington Event of September 1, 1859, is probably the best-known solar EMP storm. It damaged telegraph systems across the USA and Europe. An extraordinary geomagnetic storm could take down much of the power grid today. Replacing the largest transformers in the system (made in China) would take months if the devices could even be obtained — months during which there would be no power.
I wrote a short story published in some anthologies (free to read here – https://ericmartellauthor.com/one-candle-from-dark-short-story/) based on a solar-generated EMP. Such an event would create almost instant havoc with our society. Some people would be prepared, but most others would not. The potential for extreme violence cannot be understated, so defense becomes a major aspect of prepping.
Defense in such a situation would be much easier if you reside outside the death zone of cities. It’s been hypothesized that most refugees will not make it farther than 100 miles on foot. Distance and knowing your neighbors well (concentrate on OP-SEC) then becomes critical.
Jeff Thompson’s article is a great reminder that the spectrum of problems requiring a prepping mindset is wide and ranges from the personal-inconvenience sort to civilization-destroying events.
Sun CME are a real possibility.
But CMEs generally take several days to reach earth.
The Carrington Event took about 18 hours to reach earth, as the path was cleared by a previous solar CME event. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event)
Today, there are more than a few agencies world wide monitoring space weather.
Now, would they share the information with the rest of us lowly unwashed masses?
Non-government agencies, observatories or universities might.
What does that look like? Would the average American even understand what that means?
I get a weekly outlook on space weather… whether it would contain hints is yet to be seen
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
-Wanda,
Thank you for the linky!
If I were to imagine, the HAM folks probably would know or have a better idea after the government/civie agencies
I cut my “electronic teeth” in the early 1960s listening to shortwave radio. I soon became aware of sunspot cycles, and seasonal changes in radio signal propagation. I highly agree that the amateur radio community would be the best source for coronal mass ejections and other space weather.
-Marc M,
Thank you for chiming in on that!
Appreciate it!
Tin foil hat for you
I read the 2009 EMP Commission’s report and I believe there is another follow on one (cannot find it, might be on my other HD). I have read Ted Koppel’s book, Lights Out.
It is not just the lack of protection from an EMP. Our grid in general is in a woeful condition, needing of upgrading (note the book, The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future is a good read).
Biden’s Infrastructure bill does address some of it. But does not go far enough, not by a long shot.
I have read about some parts of the country (mostly NE) where they are trying to establish more independent, micro-grids to prevent another Great Power Outage of 2003.
But I have not read anything about EMP protection.
Concerning an EMP attack: How would we even know? Just think it is a another power outage?
Does the cell towers have their own independent generators? How about the rest of the cell back bone?
Plane falling out of the sky? Is that indicative of a EMP attack, or could it just be a Boeing?
Would all the cars that were driving switch off? What would that look like? How many people do you know could safely bring their vehicles to a stop if they lost power steering, power breaks? On a busy highway doing 65-70mph? Truckers?
In town, all those vehicles shut down, turning roadways into parking lots. Do you hump it home? How far is that?
I have a solar/hand crank radio. That might give me some idea of what is going on. Might not.
And of course, would our adversaries be content with just one EMP attack? Or wait for another 48-96 hours later, when there is a government response to re-establish Command and Control, Communications, Computers, and launch another attack, rendering all that equipment useless? How many back ups do they have?
It is not like they are going to send a text to give us a heads up.
The current people in power in Washington are more concerned with trying to fight crime by treating criminals better than law-abiding folks, consolidating all property under state management or trying to deny biological facts to cater to feelings. The rest of the world is laughing at our military holding drag fashion shows while China, North Korea, Russia and Iran arm up. If we, as a nation, don’t our head out of our rear ends, things are going to get really ugly.
I am glad to see the subject of EMP’s has come up again.
All my preps are geared for the extended loss of the power grid. In 2010 I finished my Master’s degree in Homeland Security and became very familiar with the potential of EMP’s. I have had 38 year career in law enforcement in Los Angeles County. EMP’s were never discussed at the executive level. I have published 6 articles on the fact that law enforcement is not ready nor prepared to deal with an EMP. Neither is the Fire Department. 3 of the major law Enfocement Departments refused to ether reprint any of my articles or publish a new one that poses the question, what and how are you going to respond to an EMP that takes the power grid down, fries communications, and makes your patrol vehicles unable to run. When I asked why these major policing agencies would not publish any of my articles that merely asked a question. The response was “it’s a poke in the eye to the readiness of our department.” Los Angeles County is not alone with this reaction.
I go all over the Western U.S. to law enforcement conferences. (Prior to Covid-19) and I would pose the question to line officers and executives. The answers were comical and discouraging as to the Understanding and potential of an EMP. The only LEO that understood was the new SAC FBI Agent for LAS Vegas. When I asked him if any of the law enforcement agencies in the area and casino security has done any training or preparing for the loss of the power grid? He responded “no but they should be.”
Daisy brings up an excellent topic of why this country is not preparing for an EMP.
If your local first responders are not prepared or just unaware of EMP’s that tells me we are being set up for catastrophic disaster on purpose.
I read “Lights Out” by Ted Koppel’s book and all the others. Kudos for Koppel bringing up the subject of an EMP grid down. But, there was very little written about police and fires roll in an EMP scenario. No one seems to be addressing the issue.
When I lecture on this I like showing the National Geographic video “Electric Armageddon “ it explains how EMP is generated and how it effects everything.
-Dennis,
One of the ending chapters of Ted Koppel’s Lights Out, he speaks with a person in EMS, who basically says, “We dont have the capacity to take care of all the people that would be coming out of the cities. We would give them a few bottles of water and tell them to keep going onto the next state.” (paraphrase)
I want to say it was a NJ EMS, implying people coming out of NYC, and to keep on going to PA.
That was telling.
“what and how are you going to respond to an EMP that takes the power grid down, fries communications, and makes your patrol vehicles unable to run”
simple. they won’t do anything, because they won’t be able to. what kind of answer were you looking for anyway?
I have a couple of issues with this article. The first is: how could President Trump sign an executive order that actually counted for anything the month before he was even elected to office? You might want to check the date on the EO and correct the article, I’m not sure it’s correct.
But the second is this: https://www.lewrockwell.com/2018/02/david-hathaway/emp-hoax/. As far as I know, and according to the article and book that it’s based on, EMP has never been demonstrated to be anything other than a hoax, apart from coronal mass ejections and the like. The concept is supposedly based on a string of street lights in Hawaii going out after a nuclear test in the Pacific, but that has been debunked. I’d be curious to see some actual evidence that EMP as a weapon is real before I believe it.
Now, that having been said, preparing for a solar flare or whatever is a prudent thing to do. And there is a cheap solution to creating a Faraday cage – an old, no-longer-working microwave oven. No, it won’t be all that large, but it could protect things like a portable Ham radio or other small electronics. Get a few of them and you can protect quite a bit of stuff.
Jim, its good to be skeptical. There is a lot of controversy that swirls around the effects of an EMP. A good person to read on the subject is Arthur Bradley Ph.D in electical engineering.
You mentioned Hawaii , the report on what happened there was a result of “Star Fish Prime” which was kept from the public until the early 70’s. The Russians did some testing on EMP’s on their power grid and found it would shut their power grid down.
Watch “Electric Armageddon ” it is a good expose on EMP’s or a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME).
Like I said, earlier there is a lot of controversy about the effects of EMP. We may really never know it will effect us until we have one. Then it will be either a “nothing burger” or like NASA reported about 9 out of 10 people will die from the consequences of an EMP.
http://www.empshield.com offers test info and products.
I’m a customer, but have no other affiliation.
Russia, China, Iran, North Korea are all primary players, but we know about their capabilities and we have intelligence networks in place to monitor alot of what they are doing. I am more worried about rogue actors who want to do us harm. The North Korean freighter with the SA-2s worries me because that makes me wonder what is getting into the country without being detected. And now that the entire world knows that our southern border is open since January 20th who knows what is moving across it. I am worried that a small group of people, could be foreign or domestic could set off an EMP, and China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran would now see the open door to do whatever they want with us. It is just a matter of time before it happens.
A very good article and quite true. Most people do not know about EMP and it’s effect whether natural or manmade. As the article said Daisy and others have put out articles about Faraday cages and how to protect. But to to protect your home and vehicle seems to be left out.
However, in my research that I have done the military is already protecting their assets. Also I have found a place that can provide protection for home and vehicle. The website is empshield.,com. Give them a checkout make your own choice.
One large hole in planning to defend against an EMP via Faraday cage technology is that once you pull your protected gadgetry out of that cage system so you can use it, if you get hit with a second EMP a little later …all your Faraday cage planning benefits go up in smoke since most of your formerly protected gear won’t be hardened. One example is the solar generator industry. Most such manufacturers and retailers refuse to discuss that their generators are NOT EMP hardened. So once you unbox your protected gear to use it, it’s just as vulnerable to a second strike. The only exception I know of that’s available to the civilian non-military market is from sol-ark.com and it’s not cheap.
Another hole in such planning is that an EMP strike is not the only way you can lose power for a long time. We’ve seen recent events like the hacking job that shut down Colonial Pipeline, for example. On a more massive scale we have the threat from the globalist / Klaus Schwab crowd that usually plans and simulates mass disasters well before they launch the real deal. An example was the simulation in the fall of 2019 of a mass pandemic, just a few months before Covid-19 was let loose.
The WEF plan also includes mass power outages. Their simulation already has a name — Cyber Polygon — and there are some indications that a cyber shutdown might be in the cards for early July 2021. If that shuts down all three US power grids for some unknown length of time, one’s EMP protection plans won’t help for any equipment that needs 110vac power. What would help is the ability to live off-grid for however long such a simulation might last. Not a pleasant thought. Think of surviving in Puerto Rico without the hurricane … but on a nationwide scale.
I would really really like to be proven wrong about this.
–Lewis
I like Lewis’s comment . There is more than one way to nullify our national power grid.
Cyber attack, which we could recover faster from, mitigating a huge loss of life.
Physical attack like the Metcalf incident on a sub power station in 2014. A coordinated attack like that could cause the power grid to go down.
The Metcalf attack was kept from public knowledge for over a year. The attack was low tech using assault rifles with AK type of ammo.
The point is the EMP is not the only way to lose our power grid. Was it a sleeper cell that did the Metcalf attack or maybe a false flag team. No suspects have ever been arrested resulting from that incident. Could a cyber attack originate inside the U.S. to attack our grid.
A lot of possibilities, it’s best to keep our preps ready for such an event.
-Lewis,
“One large hole in planning to defend against an EMP via Faraday cage technology is that once you pull your protected gadgetry out of that cage system so you can use it, if you get hit with a second EMP a little later …all your Faraday cage planning benefits go up in smoke since most of your formerly protected gear won’t be hardened.
I mentioned the same in another post, 48-96hours later a secondary strike.
Something to consider.
I worked for 2 1/2 years for GE in the ‘asset protection’ division. It is not true that the major power companies have not added triple protection from an EMP attack. I cannot speak in detail.
*****Why Isn’t the US Preparing for EMP War Like the Rest of the World?*****
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If we were to prepare to protect the U S from an EMP it could stop or slow down the Great Reset.
TPTB can’t allow that.
I see some interesting links in the comments. I will look at them. Th!nks everyone. Good article. I have a Faraday cage but that doesn’t help vehicles, solar power and such. As for the Faraday cage things will have to wait a few days or up to a week for a radio and 2 weeks for the rest. I live pretty well without power right now. I have an old overhead camper with a toilet and removable tank for it, fresh and gray water tanks, 3 burner propane stove top, and a 3 way fridge propane, 110 electric, and 12v battery power. I keep it set up as a guest room. I start up the fridge 3 times a year on propane.
Forstchen’s One Second After got me into prepping.
My mom had always been a “prepare-er” but since we lived in Los Angeles, that was mostly about earthquakes. And earthquakes can rock your world in many ways. We lost electricity, gas, water in the Northridge Earthquake of 1994. Try buying water! It was $5 a gallon-limit one to a customer-at Ralph’s grocery store that was on lockdown with security guards. Our Northridge hospital collapsed. My uncle had a heart attack, and it was ER in the parking lot and enter the hospital at your own risk. Most people have no idea what collapsed roadways, no utilities, and severely hindered emergency services are like. Need medication? Pharmacies are closed and doubled bolt locked with windows boarded up.
I decided there was no part of anything that “the government” was going to fix: I decided to fix my own reality. Get yourself several bicycles, with extra tires, and goodies because in all likelihood you will need them. New cars are sitting at the manufacturers because of a chip shortage. This “civilized society” works because of electricity. Any long term interruption will be vicious.
“This doesn’t seem to make much sense from a self-preservation standpoint, does it?”
the question is simple – you think that self-preservation is inclusive. it need not be. they intend to preserve themselves of course. preserve us, not so much.
Peter Vincent Pry who is an ‘executive director’ of the EMP task force said that Trump passed the law and it was ignored. This link is the best I can do finding it. He said this on an interview on the Jim Bakker show. Just saying. I don’t have a problem believing that is true at all. Here is the best I can do for a link Jim Bakker Show 2017 | Show# 3376 | Aired on December 8, 2017. I have heard him speak several times, but he plainly said that Trump’s orders were ignored. Not surprising since the whole swamp wanted to do everything they could to resist Trump, regardless of how it would hurt America. That’s the best I can do with the documentation. It is probably out there elsewhere.
Here is the link: https://jimbakkershow.morningsidechurchinc.com/video/threats-america-ignoring-day-3/
Have a faraday cage made out of a galvanized steel trash can. Everything inside is wrapped in aluminum foil with a layer of towel of blanket in between each item.
As usual you can’t rely on the government to protect you from real threats, including themselves. They only want to protect you from fake threats they invent – or have caused but then they lay the blame elsewhere.
Electric Utility System -Eric Dollard – EMP and the common neutral of Wye to Wye connected transformers etc.
Presently, much discussion exists regarding the proliferation of harmonics in the electric utility system. Moreover, the susceptibility of this system to damage or destruction from a well-positioned nuclear E.M.P. is a subject of great concern.
Such problems are not necessarily intrinsic to the process of electric transmission and distribution, but only present themselves when certain configurations exist within the electric utility system. Paramount in any transmission or distribution system is that such system must be a closed system, that is, the electromagnetic boundary condition must be maintained to the highest practical degree. This assures that the entry or exit of extraneous electric forces is minimized.
Presently, with regard to the electric utility system, the electromagnetic boundary condition is being violated in two ways;
1) By the ubiquitous employment of Wye to Wye connected transmission and distribution transformers, and related load configuration.
2) Through the extension of a common neutral connection throughout the entire electric utility system.
The widespread and enforced adoption of these practices has rendered the electric utility system an open system, or in other words, an antenna system, one of unprecedented proportions. The consequences must be obvious.
It is the objective of the following series of engineering reports to re-establish a fundamental understanding of polyphase alternating current, then apply this understanding to the analysis of the situation as it exists today with regard to the electric utility system.
https://ericpdollard.com/2018/10/06/the-electrical-utility-in-a-digital-age-engineering-report-nve-1/
https://ericpdollard.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/epd-nve1.pdf
Dollard referred to the clamping of the “ground” point from the the local transformer now being required to be bridged (connected) to the ground line to the source transformer as being unnecessary as it promotes problems and failures.
He is absolutely right. It does. Especially when an EMP burst occurs and the energy is distributed along ALL cables and the very cable that doesn’t have anty protections is the ground line. So when that “burst” energy hits your electricity supply in your home or workplace, everything will fry in microseconds. Nothing will be serviceable. Instant dark age……….. .Your house line is now directly connected back to the generating power plant, and no longer in your neighborhood.
“On October 13, 2016, Trump signed Executive Order 13744…”
No, he did not sign any executive orders in 2016. Please clarify.
That was my mistake. I have corrected it. Thank you for bringing this to my attention – The Editor
I have read both unclassified and the classified reports. The one critical thing you need to realize about EMP weapons is attribution. That is the critical component. Second, is Joint Staff Doctrine on an EMP attack. The Joint Staff’s message to Russia, Iran, China, and others os that an EMP attack will be met with the full range of U.S. power in retaliation. Translation, we will nuke you. We don’t care if there was no physical damage radiation or thermal effects. We hold open the option of a full scale nuclear attack on a perpetrator. So EMP is a capability, but it will have to be used in conjunction of a larger campaign and obfuscation of the perpetrator and the purpose. So an EMP attack is still likely a “high impact” “low probability event.” This is how we briefed it to the SecDef and the Chairman back in the day.
test11
#do is look at the battle plans of some of the nations that hate America most.
——–
another American mo$r4on who doesn’t know any foreign languages, obv never even been in china or russia or Iran for example has a NERVE to blather about things he just listened on CNN
amazing!
Surely
‘To truly understand just how very real of a risk this is, I believe all we have to do is look at the battle plans of some of the nations that hate America most.’ should be re-written as
To truly understand just how very real of a risk this is, I believe all we have to do is look at the battle plans of some of the nations that America hates the most, in addition to all those countries not playing ball with Empire America.
Seems to me that America is “up the creek without a paddle” as far as EMP protection is concerned. It’s like we’re showing up at a gunfight with nothing but rubber bands, and it sounds as if the US is headed for serious problems if we don’t get on the ball, especially from those countries which are working to prepare to protect themselves.
It’s my own opinion, that enough of our ICBMs and cruise missiles have been rigged up to where they can be launched either automatically or manually if an EMP device went off, that very few on Earth would survive. If an EMP wiped out our power grids, yes, here we would die a slow death through starvation and disease and lack of warmth and fresh water, but nukes going off over China, Russia, the Middle East would kill them off much more quickly. So, it would still be a case of M.A.D., just slightly different way to get there.
Battery power in a hardened structure could be wired up with a Dead Man switch that would cause those WMD to launch. When the EMP takes out a transistor circuit that is holding a relay open fails, the contacts close and the bombs are on their way.