UK

Warning over nuclear explosion in space

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The government must take more seriously the threat of a nuclear weapon being exploded in space by a rogue state, MPs have warned.

The Defence Select Committee said the resulting radiation pulse could disrupt power and water supplies, UK defence and satellite navigation systems.

Its chairman, Tory MP James Arbuthnot, said an attack was "quite likely".

The committee is urging ministers to invest in more "hardened" technology to cope with such an event.

It looked at the threat to the UK's technological infrastructure from "electromagnetic pulse" (EMP) events in space, which could also include the eruption of solar flares.

The committee found the government was "somewhat complacent" about the risks to technology, such as the destruction of computer chips, which could put defence systems out of action.

It called for a clearer picture of who has responsibility in such an event.

The report insisted such threats should be considered by the National Security Council and civil contingency planners, with standards of protection developed for industries most in danger.

Conventional defence alone could not protect against the threat, it said.

In February last year a large solar flare erupted, disrupting flights over Pacific, but the bulk of the material emitted by the Sun passed by Earth.

The committee said sudden fluctuations in the magnetic field caused by weather in space or nuclear attack, could wipe out electricity and GPS, used by the military and financial markets.

It added: "Space weather is a global threat and may affect many regions and countries simultaneously."

This, the report said, meant countries should work together, but also that there was no guaranteed safe place from where help could come.

The report also urged the Ministry of Defence to plan for the loss or degradation of satellite-based communications systems in case they are damaged by severe space weather.