Preempting the Storm: Mitigating America's National Security Vulnerability to Disruptive Magnetic Events

Abstract

This paper will examine the United States national infrastructures vulnerability to disruptive magnetic events. While other sources could pose similar challenges to the components of infrastructure, this paper will focus on electromagnetic threats from hostile state or terrorist actors as well as geomagnetic disruption caused by natural phenomena, specifically geomagnetic storms. This research offers an overview of the nature of the infrastructure threat from disruptive magnetic current events and considers the relative probability of an event occurring. The paper explores the continuum of consequences an event would have on the nations electrical grid, transportation and communication systems in their current state.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 16, 2011
Accession Number
AD1018727

Entities

People

  • James R. Twiford

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Climate Change
  • Communication Systems
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Electrical Grids
  • Homeland Security
  • Law
  • Magnetic Disturbances
  • Magnetic Storms
  • National Security
  • New York
  • United States
  • United States Strategic Command
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Solar Physics