A new report from the United States Air Force Air University warns of an electromagnetic pulse type attack that poses a direct threat to the “United States, democracy, and the world order,” and says the U.S. is unprepared for one should it happen.

The report, titled “Electromagnetic Defense Task Force,” says an attack could shut down the U.S. electric grid for a year-and-a-half, melt down nuclear plants, cripple the U.S. military, displace 4.1 million people and kill 90 percent of the East Coast within a year.

North Korea, Iran, Russia and the U.S. have all developed EMP weapons.

“An EMP would cause instantaneous and simultaneous loss of many technologies reliant on electrical power and computer circuit boards, such as cell phones and GPS devices”’ the report says.

“Failures may include long-term loss of electrical power (due to loss of emergency generators), sewage, fresh water, banking, landlines, cellular service, vehicles,” the report adds.

Report authors Air Force Maj. David Stuckenberg, Col. Douglas DeMaio and former CIA director James Woolsey urged the U.S. to declare the issue critical and called for an effort to push for EMP prevention.

They also want the government to warn the nation.

“The potential for an adversary to inflict damage on states through EMS (electromagnetic spectrum) attack has grown significantly,” said the report, which warned, “An EMP attack affects all devices with solid-state electronics and could render inoperative the main grid and backup power systems, such as on-site generators.”

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