Any reason why this shouldn't keep me up at night?

[meadbelly]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18586681

Head of Mi-5 speaks publicly about current-and-escalating dangers of cyber attacks on UK and other western nations. I don't think the head of MI-5 speaks publicly about that kind of thing lightly. (Harry Pearce never did in 10 years! Publicly at least)

A) The US' recent track record of preventative measures against unpredicted attacks is less than ideal. China is going to offer some different challenges than your average invasion of afghanistan or iraq. Land wars in asia and all that. Heard it's something to avoid.

B) We can't really throw down the Card of Self-Righteousness and all that, what with stuxnet. (Or KFC for that matter.)

C) China doesn't need a thousand 'botted computers for denial-of-service attacks. They have a staggeringly deep pool of manpower to draw upon.

D) Eastern Europe is awfully good at cyber theft of joe citizen. That's a pretty decent training ground for cyber attack of corporations and governments.

[Steelgrave]

Just goes to prove the maxim about how generals and politicians are always fighting the last war. The next one may not involve a single bomb, missile or major weapons platform. Just computers and maybe an EMP or few and hello, stone age.

[meadbelly]

Waitaminute. EMP means no electricity. That means no ice cold tasty beverages at will. And I have a cat that will be seriously pissed off about losing the self-cleaning litter box. That's not the stone age! That's. . . that's. . . well, something really seriously totally bad.

Jarhead'll totally let me into the compound if I make it across the country, right?

[0kult13]

Yeah its going the way of shadowrun/neruromancer. I love the fact a clever indvidual can stand against might nations/corperations...and win. Mi5 have said a few weird things of late, the other day they said they could not protect the olympics from the ever omni present threat of ....... 'terrorists'.  :o.  As there will be more troops in london than afganistan i would think it unlikly. unless is some ff op is planned.   

[junk2drive]

If an ICBM is in flight and the opponent detonates an EMP device in proximity, would the ICBM cease to function and fall to earth?

Would rockets/missles be able to launch after an EMP attack?

[Windigo]

Just goes to prove the maxim about how generals and politicians are always fighting the last war. The next one may not involve a single bomb, missile or major weapons platform. Just computers and maybe an EMP or few and hello, stone age.

Generators will work and we have plenty of oil and gas.....  just need more new computer games and the world will still turn.

[Staggerwing]

If an ICBM is in flight and the opponent detonates an EMP device in proximity, would the ICBM cease to function and fall to earth?

Would rockets/missles be able to launch after an EMP attack?

I imagine that ICBMs would be 'hardened' to some degree since they would most likely be used in anger while there were other thermonuclear detonations occurring and a large-scale nuclear detonation is the best way to create an EMP in the first place. Also, if the particular ICBM in question were solid fuel then once the ignition burn started there would be no way to turn it off again so the missile would indeed be ballistic at the end of it's fuel burn.

[Steelgrave]

There was a very somber novel written a few years ago (the title of which eludes me) about a surprise EMP attack on the US. The results were the complete breakdown of our society, as food, communication, medical, everything was affected. I recall that it was written by someone with some background in the subject, but it was disturbing.

[Windigo]

There was a very somber novel written a few years ago (the title of which eludes me) about a surprise EMP attack on the US. The results were the complete breakdown of our society, as food, communication, medical, everything was affected. I recall that it was written by someone with some background in the subject, but it was disturbing.

Yankee Ingenuity and Southern resourcefullness would keep that from happening.  Sure there would be a sizeable minority that would wring their hands and prepare to devolve, but many many would rise to the occasion .... of this I am certain.

Even Harley would show his charitable side

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Also, if the particular ICBM in question were solid fuel then once the ignition burn started there would be no way to turn it off again so the missile would indeed be ballistic at the end of it's fuel burn.

I don't believe that. Nobody is going to let the random buffeting of the atmosphere dictate where an ICBM lands. It would have some flight control surfaces for adjustments. The question is would those electronics, actuators, motors whatever survive an emp.

[meadbelly]

There was a very somber novel written a few years ago (the title of which eludes me) about a surprise EMP attack on the US. The results were the complete breakdown of our society, as food, communication, medical, everything was affected. I recall that it was written by someone with some background in the subject, but it was disturbing.

Yankee Ingenuity and Southern resourcefullness would keep that from happening.  Sure there would be a sizeable minority that would wring their hands and prepare to devolve, but many many would rise to the occasion .... of this I am certain.

Even Harley would show his charitable side

I suspect and certainly hope you are right. I think the cities would be hell, tho. You've got a matter of days, possibly as much as a handful of weeks before there are waaaay to0 many mouths to feed.

[Staggerwing]

Also, if the particular ICBM in question were solid fuel then once the ignition burn started there would be no way to turn it off again so the missile would indeed be ballistic at the end of it's fuel burn.

I don't believe that. Nobody is going to let the random buffeting of the atmosphere dictate where an ICBM lands. It would have some flight control surfaces for adjustments. The question is would those electronics, actuators, motors whatever survive an emp.

If the components are indeed hardened, and I can't believe the engineers wouldn't think of multiple nuclear detonations occurring all around during flight, then the missile should reach the point at which it deploys it's MIRVs to contribute yet a few more EMPs to the party. BTW ICBM refers to InterContinental Ballistic Missile. So, by definition, no realtime ground control as to actual targeting. I'm sure there are failsafes for preventing detonation or MIRV deployment but most weapons follow their predetermined flight path. This would insure that the flight center could be wiped out by a strike and the enemy would still get whacked back- a key tenet of MAD. There are a few MIRVs that can manouver, though. They are referred to as MARVs, or Maneuverable Reentry vehicles.

[Windigo]

I have a MARV!      ;)

[Staggerwing]

Of course you do.... otherwise you wouldn't have any progeny. ;)

[GDS_Starfury]

I imagine that ICBMs would be 'hardened' to some degree since they would most likely be used in anger while there were other thermonuclear detonations occurring and a large-scale nuclear detonation is the best way to create an EMP in the first place. Also, if the particular ICBM in question were solid fuel then once the ignition burn started there would be no way to turn it off again so the missile would indeed be ballistic at the end of it's fuel burn.

people just dont realize that the technology used is ICBM's isnt really cutting edge at all.
there are electronics and guidance systems that are more current and hardened against to emp.
the actual reaction control systems that guide the MIRV bus are 50's era tech that pretty much ignore emp.