Millions of people across Spain and Portugal were thrown into chaos this week following a 23-hour blackout, with no official cause yet confirmed. The event, described by some as dystopian, left cities in darkness, halted transport, and led to widespread panic buying. But could it be the result of a space-based EMP attack?
Authorities Dismiss Cyberattack Theory
Officials have ruled out a cyberattack, and other possibilities such as technical malfunctions, increased reliance on green energy, or extreme weather are being explored. But one theory stands out as both alarming and intriguing – the idea that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) could be behind it.
What is an EMP?
Electromagnetism influences how energy forms like heat, radio waves, and X-rays interact. EMPs are sudden energy bursts caused when these forms are disrupted. These pulses can happen naturally, such as from lightning or solar flares, or they can be man-made, like those from nuclear explosions.
When such pulses occur near satellites, they can disrupt or destroy electronic systems. A well-known example occurred in 1989 when a solar flare knocked out power in Quebec for 12 hours.
Experts Warn of Major Risks
Following that incident, US experts warned that a stronger EMP could devastate the entire national grid. This would affect everything from financial systems to healthcare and air traffic, with global repercussions that could last for years.
Just last month, the US Department of Homeland Security renewed warnings about the impact of EMPs. The agency said these pulses can cause “widespread damage to power lines, telecommunications and electronic equipment”. It added that while the military has some protection, these solutions are usually “too case-specific, expensive and impractical” for wider use.
Was the Blackout Caused by an EMP?
Speculation has spread online. Various accounts mentioned increased solar activity, strange aurora-like lights in the sky, and highly unusual fluctuations in geomagnetic and atmospheric conditions.
It must be stressed that these reports are unverified, yet they suggest the blackout might have been caused by an EMP weapon – a nuclear device detonated in space that releases a huge energy wave capable of disabling satellites and electrical systems on Earth.
Real Concerns About ‘Invisible Warfare’
Experts have long warned about the dangers of EMP attacks. US historian William R. Forstchen recently said such an attack could be “generated when a small nuclear weapon – 40 to 60 kilotons, about three times the size of the Hiroshima bomb – is detonated 200 miles out in space”.
History backs up his concerns. In 1962, the US tested a nuclear weapon high above the Pacific Ocean. The resulting EMP knocked out streetlights in Hawaii, over 900 miles away.
Suspicion Falls on Russia and China
There are concerns that Russia may be developing weapons for this type of attack. US officials believe a spacecraft named ‘Cosmos 2553’, launched just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, might be testing parts for a space weapon.
China has also raised alarms. In 2023, a Chinese balloon was spotted in US airspace. A report by the American Leadership and Policy Foundation warned, “Using a balloon as a WMD [weapons of mass destruction] platform could provide adversaries with a [range] of altitudes and payload options with which to maximise offensive effects against the US.”
EMPs Don’t Kill, But They’re Still Devastating
Perhaps the most frightening part of EMP weapons is that they don’t cause immediate physical harm. There are no explosions or direct deaths. But they can instantly destroy the infrastructure we rely on.
As Mail columnist Peter Hitchens recently wrote, such a strike means “the targeted country immediately reverts to the early 19th century”.
What happened in the Iberian Peninsula might just be the beginning of a new kind of warfare.
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