The Electromagnetic Pulse Threat to America’s Nuclear Command and Control Systems

America’s nuclear command, control, and communications system was the most reliable and secure communications system in the world during the cold war due to its unique capabilities to transmit the nuclear launch order from the President of the United States to our forces rapidly over a wide network that included electronic, mechanical, and manual means, even during a nuclear attack. The methodology ensured the message was received accurately and within a very short time frame. But today, new Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and cyber warfare capabilities call into question our NC3 reliability and security in the case of a nuclear war. We face three increasingly capable adversaries whose strategy relies on EMP attacks on the USA when an all-out kinetic World War three begins. China, Russia, and North Korea have all developed and fielded capabilities able to bring our electrical and communications down likely with less than five minutes of warning using super EMP, hypersonic, and cyber weapons, effectively decapitating our defense command, enabling them to believe they might be able to win a nuclear war. While this sounds far-fetched, the reality is these capabilities do exist in the hands of these three adversaries combined.