Electromagnetic Defense Task Force Recommendations Checklist

By AIR UNIVERSITY – LEMAY CENTER FOR DOCTRINE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION 

ELECTROMAGNETIC DEFENSE TASK FORCE (EDTF) 2.0 

2019 REPORT 

Recommendations Checklist 

☐ Establish information sharing within the government, industry, and academia 

☐ Create a national repository to track infrastructure resiliency initiatives to help minimize duplication of efforts and enhance benchmarking of successful projects 

• ☐  Garner public support through public outreach and media campaigns 
• ☐  Develop a nationwide plan with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), and US Strategic Command, and include local communities 
• ☐  Ensure electric power grid and supervisory control and data acquisition is not dependent on 5G 
• ☐  Build a community of experts 
  • ☐  Invest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 
  • ☐  IncentivizeSTEMgraduatesandengineeringdisciplinestoresearch, the mechanics of EMS hardening 
• ☐  Developacohesivestrategicplaninvolvingnationalandlocalgovernments 
  • ☐  Involve the Federal Emergency Management Agency and establish geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) / electromagnetic pulse (EMP) as a natural disaster 
  • ☐  Ensure5G’srecoverystepsareincludedas5Gbecomesmoreprevalent 
  • ☐  Harden and utilize cells-on-wheels 
  • ☐  Partner with American Radio and Relay League and Military Auxiliary Radio System to integrate ham radio into the national emergency and redundant communications strategy 
• ☐  Incentivize the industry to implement shielding standards and protect equipment 
  • ☐  Research implementation of EMP-Star rating 
  • ☐  Set standards for tiered rating 
  • ☐  Award cities for EMP resiliency 

• ☐  Increase the pace and reduce the cost of 5G development by allocating mid-band spectrum (sub 6Ghz) for mobile assets 
  • ☐  Ensure supply chain integrity of 5G equipment for security 
  • ☐  Educate students and military on vulnerabilities of 5G and potential threats 
  • ☐  Ensure 5G networks are resilient, redundant, and resistant to GMD/ EMP 
• ☐  Recognize the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) as a domain and in- corporate EMS into the doctrine 
  • ☐  Create a culture of EMS awareness 
  • ☐  Translate/publish/understand adversary doctrine 
  • ☐  Develop a golden hour response plan for EMP recovery 
• ☐  Educate military members on EMS utilization and vulnerabilities beginning with initial military training and continuing through career 

☐ Incorporate EMS training into LeMay Wing and Group Command- er’s course 

• ☐  Train and exercise in an EMS-degraded environment 
  • ☐  Incorporate GMD/EMP into community and base exercises 
  • ☐  Stand up EMS attack “Red Team.” 
• ☐  Develop cognitive electronic warfare and artificial intelligence to deliver mass alerts from GMD/EMP 
  • ☐  Develop software-defined/reconfigurable radios and laser-based communications 
  • ☐  Research UAV or balloon-based repeaters for radio communication 
• ☐  Invest in pre-positioned shielded assets, including generators, fuel, and communications equipment, which are placed throughout the nation and in allied countries 
• ☐  Streamline the acquisition process for EMP-shielded equipment to al- low quicker development and unit testing 
• ☐  Develop tax incentives for implementing EMP-hardening standards 
• ☐  Develop micro-grids that are hardened for EMP and cyber for critical facilities and then branch out to all military bases 
• ☐  Evaluate ways to detect and prevent threats across 5G networks 92 
• ☐  Institutionalize EMS awareness in leadership positions 
• ☐  Partner with universities to develop “whole of society” EMS education programs and strategies 
• ☐  Strategically message that the US is prepared for an EMP attack and will regard it as a crime against humanity 
• ☐  Develop leadership roles for specific situations; for example, DHS will lead a recovery after GMD, while USNORTHCOM will lead recovery and retaliation after EMP 
• ☐  Manage the workforce to find and retain experts in EMS operations and maintain corporate knowledge 
• ☐  Ensure EMP shielding is implemented in new military construction as the cost is much lower