'Even the cockroaches won't survive': Expert discusses Hezbollah's new EMP weapon

The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported that Iran has supplied Hezbollah and other Iranian proxy forces with electromagnetic ordnance, which can disable communication systems and shut down radars. Rotem Mey-Tal, CEO of Asgard Systems, a company developing military technology for the defense industry and the initiator of the "30U30 in Defense" competition for 2024, discussed the issue. 

First, what is electromagnetic ordnance?

"Describing electromagnetic ordnance is like talking about something no one has ever seen, but everyone understands exists and is present in reality—in our case, on the geopolitical and military chessboard of the Middle East. In essence, imagine lightning striking the building you live in, not hitting a lightning rod or antenna, but the entire building, causing all the electrical panels, water heaters, water and electrical systems, household appliances, computers, television systems, and even life-saving medical systems to stop working. It's like a power outage, but in this case, the systems can also burn out from the inside like in an electrical short."

Where is this threat aimed?

"I suspect the threat is more focused on bases, strategic facilities, desalination systems, and the Israeli power grid. However, it's impossible to say precisely, as such a weapon has never been used in history, so there are no sources or references to learn from."

Does it work like an electric wave or like conventional munitions and rockets?

"The physics are the same in any way they choose to use such capability, but I suspect the model will likely be in the form of a low-flying UAV. Much like the Iranian-Houthi attack of the upgraded Samad 3 UAV, which struck near the US Embassy in Tel Aviv last weekend, only instead of a kinetic warhead with gunpowder, the front of the UAV can be armed with an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) activation mechanism, which is triggered during the UAV's flight and emits an EMP upon contact with the target. But again, it's mostly speculation, as there is no documentation to date of the use of such a weapon or technology."

Is this an escalation? How do you think such a threat should be addressed?

"In my personal opinion, not only is this an escalation on the map of potential threats, but it should also be regarded as close to a non-conventional weapon threat. Just as no sovereign country would tolerate a non-conventional weapon threat, the same applies here. This is because, in 2024, electronic processors manage and operate all the vital systems in the State of Israel—infrastructure, medical systems, security, and military applications.

"Think of the analogy from the 1960s, which describes that in a nuclear explosion, only the cockroaches would survive. In the same vein, in an electromagnetic attack, the 'cockroaches' (a nickname for electronic components in electrical circuits) will not survive this time. It will affect all of us in our daily lives and emergency preparedness. Like in a poker game, when someone raises a bet on the table, everyone stops everything and looks him in the eye to understand his next move or whether he is bluffing. I think we need to look them in the eye."