U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense Systems Could Thwart Terrorist Electromagnetic Pulse Attack

U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems could be deployed to thwart or discourage a terrorist electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, according to testimony at a House Armed Services Committee (HASC) hearing requested by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), a scientist and professor who also is the leading EMP expert in Congress.

Iran clearly is developing an EMP weapons capability, according to the witness at the hearing, William Graham, chairman of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack. The panel was formed in 2001, a year that saw the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States that killed thousands of innocent civilians and military personnel, and damage running into the tens of billions of dollars.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe out Israel, and also has threatened the United States.

The hearing came just after Iran, a nation with a clandestine nuclear materials production program, on consecutive days launched multiple missiles in salvos.

“These missile launches are significant reminders of this clear and present danger,” said Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, ranking Republican on the HASC. “This is especially troubling if Iran is also developing EMP technology.”

And Iran likely is doing just that. Graham said Iran has tipped its hand and disclosed its intent by sending aloft missiles, creating high-altitude detonations of conventional- munitions weapons. Aside from developing an EMP capability, there would be no other explanation for such tests, Graham said.

A genuine threat of a staggering EMP attack confronts the United States, Graham indicated.

But the Department of Defense (DOD) has taken only minimal steps to counter an EMP attack, such as hardening facilities and weapons platforms against EMP, and the rest of the government has done far less, even though anti-EMP steps would be inexpensive compared to the devastation an EMP attack otherwise would cause, Graham said.

When Bartlett asked whether vulnerability to attack invites terrorists to strike, Graham replied that that is true. Further, Graham said, rogue states and terrorists openly discuss hitting the United States with an EMP attack, citing literature available to Westerners. But Graham said he doesn’t know why the U.S. government isn’t taking aggressive steps to prevent and/or recover from an EMP attack. He could only relate that DOD “is early in the process” of protecting itself against EMP, and “other parts of the government have not begun the process.” Even in DOD and the Department of Homeland Security, many policymakers have “not given it much thought.”

While the HASC invited the DOD to have one of its officials testify at the hearing, the department declined to do so, Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the HASC chairman, noted. He added that DOD said it first wants to provide its own assessment of the EMP threat to the commission, before DOD officials go to Capitol Hill testify on the threat.

That EMP is receiving any attention in Congress is in good measure thanks to Bartlett sounding the tocsin on the critical issue, Skelton said in a bipartisan note of accord. “My colleague Mr. Bartlett … deserves special credit for being dogged in his attention to these issues,” Skelton noted.

Likewise, Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, ranking Republican on the HASC, thanked both Skelton and Bartlett as the driving forces behind the hearing, terming Bartlett “a strong and often lone voice in raising this important topic before the Congress.”

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One Small Bomb, One Rocket

Under questioning by Bartlett, Graham said that terrorists or rogue states wouldn’t need to wield advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles or high-yield nuclear weapons to create a crushing EMP attack on the United States.

All terrorists would need for a catastrophic EMP attack on the United States would be a common Scud-type missile and a very small atomic bomb with a minimal yield of 10 kilotons or so, Graham said. That is far smaller than the only two atomic bombs ever used in a war, the 15-kilotons Little Boy bomb that the United States dropped on Hiroshima, and the 22 kilotons Fat Man bomb dropped on Nagasaki in World War II. Those weapons were produced in the infancy of the atomic age, in the nascent, technologically primitive era of the early 1940s. Bigger-yield weapons would produce a stronger EMP, Graham said.

Terrorists would merely require, then, “any nuclear weapon that can be put on a missile,” rather than needing some very advanced, sophisticated nuclear or thermonuclear weapon, Graham said, adding, “That is bad news for us.”

A terrorist group could produce a “potent, catastrophic EMP from even a first-generation nuclear weapon,” Graham explained.

To incapacitate much of the North American continent, a terrorist cell would need just one rudimentary missile capable of ascending to an altitude of 50 to 300 miles, and a small nuclear device mounted atop the missile, which would be launched from, say, Iowa or North Dakota. The higher the altitude, the wider the EMP devastation would spread.

Alternatively, a terrorist group wouldn’t even have to smuggle a nuclear weapon and missile into the United States. Rather, they could launch a missile from well out in the Atlantic Ocean to detonate high over American territory, causing an EMP that would devastate the Eastern United States, especially populous coastal regions. Or they could do the same from a ship in the Pacific Ocean to take out the West Coast region, Graham indicated.

His description of just how calamitous an EMP attack could be was grim, though Graham spoke in a matter-of-fact, low-key manner.

EMP, though it would last a fraction of a second, would fry electronics. Computers, cell phones and land line phones, TVs, radios, personal digital assistants, cars, trucks, buses, subways, railroads, and much more would, in most cases, cease functioning.

Some satellites, those in low Earth orbits, would be fried and disabled by EMP, while other satellites in high (22,000 miles or so) geosynchronous orbits would survive EMP. Satellites are crucial to voice and computer network communications, millions of credit card transactions each day, and much more. Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), co-chairman and founder of the bipartisan congressional Missile Defense Caucus, said it is critical to begin determining now how to protect satellites.

Even high-flying satellites might not be of much use, however, if EMP destroys their ground stations that are required to send and receive data to the birds.

Many, though perhaps not all, airborne aircraft would tumble from the sky and crash.

The electric power grid would crash, much of the system would be severely damaged, and cities and towns would go dark, with no heat, light or air conditioning. EMP would destroy, for example, electrical transformers, and the U.S. factories that can manufacture them. So getting electrical power systems back in operation would involve buying new transformers made overseas, waiting for them to be shipped to the United States, Graham said.

People would be trapped on elevators when the power failed.

With no trains and trucks running, new food supplies wouldn’t get to cities, and people would starveto death.

Traffic signals would go dark for lack of electricity.

Ambulances, fire trucks, police cars and National Guard/reserves vehicles would stop running.

And even if they did still run, as some old vehicles with outmoded coil-and-distributor electrical systems would, they wouldn’t run for long without refueling: gasoline and diesel fuel pumps wouldn’t operate without electricity.

When Bartlett asked if it would be likely that 90 percent of Americans would be dead by the end of the year when an EMP attack occurred, Graham said, “We think that’s in the correct range.”

These disasters are what Graham and the commission found would occur after an EMP attack, but there never has been any experience in U.S. history of what occurs if the national infrastructure of a nation of 300 million people fails, so results of an EMP attack could be worse than expected. Effects of an EMP attack would be like the devastating hurricane “Katrina, several times over,” Graham said. While horrific, Katrina confined its damage to the Deep South, such as Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. EMP, however, would affect a gigantic area.

Would the U.S. military survive? “We just don’t have the test data to tell us one way or another,” Graham said.

Navy ships could be equipped to survive an EMP attack, so long as sheathing of electrical circuits and other measures were left intact and weren’t tampered with later, he said. Graham responded to questions by Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), chairman of the HASC seapower and expeditionary forces subcommittee. Bartlett is the top-ranked Republican on the panel.

EMP may cause brain injuries in humans, just as EMP can destroy electrical circuitry in communications, transportation, the electrical grid and much more.

Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas), chairman of the HASC readiness subcommittee, found it all a bit daunting. “This is really scary,” he said. The United States needs a shield against an EMP attack, he said.

While one might think that airing details of EMP technology would provide dangerous information to terrorists, they already know these facts, lawmakers noted during the hearing.

Missile Defense Required

Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) asked Graham whether the United States could stop an EMP attack in its tracks by using missile defense systems to destroy the terrorist missile before the nuclear weapon has a chance to detonate and create EMP.

U.S. policymakers should “certainly look to ballistic missile defense,” Graham said. He cited specifically the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system led by The Boeing Co. [BA] and the Aegis sea-based BMD system by Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] using a Standard Missile-3 interceptor by Raytheon Co. [RTN].

He also said any terrorist or rogue state missile soaring on an EMP mission should be killed by U.S. missile defense forces “as early as possible.”

The earliest kill on an enemy missile, just after it launches, would be made by the Airborne Laser, now in development by prime contractor Boeing using its highly modified 747- 400 aircraft, lasers by Northrop Grumman Corp. [NOC] and beam control/fire control system by Lockheed.

Graham said that by deploying a layered missile defense system to knock down EMP missiles launched inside or near the United States, “we would at least increase the uncertainty that any attacker would have,” and thus, perhaps, dissuade terrorists or rogue states from ever attempting an EMP attack in the first place.

The United States should be “using our missile defense assets to deter, dissuade, and if necessary” kill any EMP attack, he said.

Such an attack also could be mounted over Afghanistan or Iraq, to disable U.S. vehicles, aircraft and more, he noted.

At this point, however, the Missile Defense Agency is charged only with developing a multi-layered missile defense system against enemy missiles launched from abroad, such as from North Korea, rather than being assigned to guard the United States from an EMP attack.

Short of having a missile defense system to protect the United States by killing the enemy weapon before it has an opportunity to create EMP, there are many steps the nation can take to lessen the impact, once an EMP attack has occurred, Graham said.

Policymakers should first understand the breadth and nature of the EMP threat, decide how to mitigate it, and then identify which parts of the infrastructure EMP is likely to damage that would be most difficult to replace, he said.

Also, operators of the electrical power industry should be careful to note that some attempts to restart the system and get it up and running after an EMP attack might, instead, wind up worsening the damage, Graham said.

But this work would have to be prioritized. The commission doesn’t advocate protecting all civilian infrastructure, he said. Rather, approach the problem by saying you’re willing to see some infrastructure take a hit and go down, but design the system so that it won’t be damaged seriously, so that it can be brought back on line in a relatively brief period, he said.

Such an approach would be affordable, especially when compared to the cost of replacing the infrastructure were it to be irreparably damaged, he said.

It is key to note that countering the EMP threat isn’t the sole purview of the federal government, but rather should be a focus for state and local governments, including state and local police forces, firefighters, emergency services providers such as medical professionals, operators of electric, gas, communications and other utilities, and more.

In one test, 10 percent of modern, computer-chip-controlled vehicles exposed to EMP were disabled permanently, while others were disabled temporarily and then could be restarted.

Individuals can contribute to solutions by stockpiling food and drinking water. They also can buy portable electrical generators, but must ensure that those generators remain unplugged and unconnected to wires or other items that might permit EMP to enter the generators and destroy them.

Surge protectors that may be effective in shielding electric and electronic items against lightning may not be effective against EMP, Graham indicated.

While the military has hardened Humvees, Bradley tanks and other platforms against EMP, that may work only when all doors and other openings are closed. To be truly effective, anti-EMP hardening must be effective even when doors, hatches or other openings are left ajar, Graham indicated.

“Practically speaking, we can’t afford to protect everything, everywhere. But we do need to engage in a dialogue and identify our priorities,” Hunter said. “Today’s hearing is focused on the commission, but the longer-term dialogue must include all interested interagency partners, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the intelligence community and other relevant agencies, as well as the private sector.”

The panel asked Graham and the commission to study and report back to the HASC as to what steps individuals, businesses and governments should take to lessen damage in an EMP attack, and to recover from an attack faster.

Graham said he and the commission would be open to Congress extending their authorization to study EMP beyond a cutoff this year, if lawmakers so wish.

But clearly, the commission already has found that an enormous task lies ahead, with the government largely immobile in the face of a horrific threat, when Washington should be moving decisively to launch preparedness and prevention programs against EMP.

“The potential damage that could be caused by an EMP attack on the United States is significant,” Skelton warned.

“Though the likelihood of an EMP attack may be small, the consequences could be catastrophic. And for that reason alone, we can’t ignore it,” Hunter said..

“I’m very concerned,” Bartlett concluded. It is vital, he said, for the United States to take decisive steps to guard against the devastation of EMP.

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U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems could be deployed to thwart or discourage a terrorist electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, according to testimony at a House Armed Services Committee (HASC) hearing

Military warns EMP attack could wipe out America, ‘democracy, world order’

In an extraordinary and sobering report meant to educate the nation on a growing threat, a new military study warns that an electromagnetic pulse weapon attack such as those developed by North Korea, Russia, and Iran could essentially challenge the United States and displace millions.

“Based on the totality of available data,” said the report from the Air Force’s Air University and provided to Secrets, “an electromagnetic spectrum attack may be a threat to the United States, democracy, and the world order.”

The report, titled, “Electromagnetic Defense Task Force,” and the product of a mostly classified summit of officials from 40 agencies just outside of Washington earlier this year, is a forceful call for a new focus on preparing for either an enemy EMP attack or a natural hit such as a solar storm. 

While it is focused on the devastating impact an EMP hit would have on the military, it appears to support a congressional warning that up to 90 percent of the population on the East Coast would die in a year of an attack that would dismantle or interfere with electricity, transportation, food processing, and healthcare.

Consider just some of the warnings in the report from the United States Air Force Air University and the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education. Citing figures from the Union of Concerned Scientists, the report: 

• 99 nuclear reactors would likely melt down without electricity to cool them.
• 4.1 million would be displaced from areas around the nuclear plants as the radioactive cloud spread.

• Military and commercial jets, such as those built by Airbus, could be degraded. “Alarmingly, aircraft designed to carry large numbers of people and sizable cargo are allowed to operate without certainty about their level of resilience.”
• Bases would be cut off, making defense and counter-attacks impossible.
• Civil unrest would start in “hours.”
• Power and GPS could go dark. “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.”
• “Failures may include long-term loss of electrical power (due to loss of emergency generators), sewage, fresh water, banking, landlines, cellular service, vehicles.”
• 18 months or more are required to replace key elements of the electric grid that would be damaged or knocked out.

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Figuring out just which country launched an attack would be difficult since certain weapons could be delivered in a satellite.

It also noted the development of the 5G mobile network and how it will run communications and why it must be protected, especially since China is the biggest investor in its development.

“Because control of 5G is roughly equivalent to control of the Internet, open 5G is critical to freedom and free-market economics. Meanwhile, access to the 5G-millimeter wave bandwidth will be critical to operations in all war-fighting domains, in particular, space command & control,” said the white paper.

Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, the commander of Air Education and Training Command, said, “As electromagnetic technologies fuse in new and often dangerous ways, it’s critical that the military and industry make honest evaluations of present and future conflict states to ensure we’re proactive rather than reactive.”

He also advised for predicting how U.S. foes will try to outsmart any fixes to the electric grid and other targets of an EMP attack.

“French actions before WWII demonstrate that even bold action, such as building the Maginot Line, can be rapidly overcome through imagination. The imagination that defeated the Maginot Line was the German Blitzkrieg which unexpectedly exploited the only gap in the wall. Groundbreaking research like this can help the wider defense community understand not only how take bold action, but how to take the right bold action to prevent catastrophic outcomes,” said the general.

The report said that the government should focus on the issue and declare it a critical issue. What’s more, it called for a central effort to push for EMP prevention and reaction should an attack come.

The report, written by experts Air Force Maj. David Stuckenberg, former CIA Director James Woolsey, and Col. Douglas DeMaio, also called for a national and congressional publicity campaign to alert the nation and governmental leaders to the threat.

“The potential for an adversary to inflict damage on states through EMS attack has grown significantly,” said the 69-page 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.”

It highlighted the lack of a reaction plan or major focus on an EMP attack, even if just from a solar flare. “In some areas, there is a complete absence of strategy,” said the report. It added, “EMP is a tragedy of the commons as ‘no one’s job jar.’”

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Source

In an extraordinary and sobering report meant to educate the nation on a growing threat, a new military study warns that an electromagnetic pulse weapon attack such as those developed by North

15 Things You Think You Know About Faraday Cages

This article takes into consideration only the effects of a nuclear EMP, not a solar flare. A solar flare would only affect any electronics connected to the grid.

#1. Will a microwave work as a Faraday cage?

No. If an EMP strikes, you will notice that all your electronic devices that you stored in a microwave oven will be rendered useless. The microwave is not a Faraday cage.

#2. Will a refrigerator work as a Faraday cage?

No, most refrigerators do not work as a Faraday cage. I tested mine, and it’s definitely not a Faraday cage.

#3. If I keep a backup mobile phone in my Faraday cage, will it work when I need it?

Yes, your phone will work perfectly. However, it will be rendered almost useless because the network will not be functional. The only form of communication after an EMP will be the radio. 

#4. Do I need to store batteries in a Faraday cage?

No. They will continue to work regardless and will just take up space in your Faraday cage. Here are the best batteries for survival situations.

#5. Do Faraday cages need grounding?

No.

#6. Do I need to keep my solar panels in a Faraday cage?

No. The only part of the system you have to worry about is your solar panel inverter. Don’t worry about your solar panels; they will be fine. It’s best to buy an extra inverter and keep it in your Faraday cage so you can replace the useless one after the EMP.

#7. If I wrap electronic devices in heavy duty aluminum foil, will that work?

No. But if you wrap the cardboard box in which you bought them in heavy duty aluminum foil, this would be an effective Faraday cage.

#8. Will flashlights continue to function after an EMP Strike?

Some flashlights will continue to function, and some will burn out. It all depends on the power and distance from the blast.

#9. Is a shipping container a Faraday cage?

Yes, but just remember that you can’t just put the electronic devices directly in contact with the metal. Some people board the interior of the container with wooden panels.

#10. Can I use this shipping container as a “Faraday garage” for my car?

Yes, you can definitely do that. Most cars fit in a standard shipping container, but just to make sure, go ahead and take the measurements before buying a shipping container.

#11. If you turn off your devices, will they be EMP-proof?

No.

#12. Are airplanes Faraday cages?

No. Planes operate on the basic principles of lift and thrust, so they will become more or less gliders. They will be very difficult to control and most of them will fall from the sky and crash.

#13. How do I test an object to see if it will work as a Faraday cage?

You can test any device that you think might work as a Faraday cage with a radio. Simply turn on the radio and place it inside the device. If the radio is still receiving a signal, then it’s not a Faraday cage. If you don’t have a radio, you can use a mobile phone, but the results won’t be 100% accurate in the sense that if your mobile phone still rings, then it’s definitely not a Faraday cage, but if it does not, you can’t really be sure. You need to test it with a radio to be 100% sure you have a Faraday cage.

#14. Can you EMP-proof a car?

You could build a Faraday cage, but this would mean that you will either never use your car or will need to buy a new one. I’ve seen some pictures online of people wrapping them in aluminum, but as I said previously, it’s pointless.

Instead of making your car EMP-proof, I think you would be better off buying an old, cheap car that has an electric system that is a lot less vulnerable. Here are the top 6 EMP proof vehicles.

#15. Will a galvanized steel trash can make a good Faraday cage?

Yes, but the can has to close perfectly, and you will have to line the walls with cardboard.

This article takes into consideration only the effects of a nuclear EMP, not a solar flare. A solar flare would only affect any electronics connected to the grid. #1. Will a

How To Clear Your House When You Think There Is An Intruder

So you’ve taken all the precautions you can think of against intruders. You’ve cleared away cover around your home, fitted quality door and window locks and made sure your tools are securely locked away.

But apparently it wasn’t enough, because it’s 3am and you’ve just been woken by a noise downstairs. What are you going to do now?

The “right” answer, of course, is to call the cops and let them deal with it. If there’s violence and you didn’t call the cops, questions are going to be asked about that, so call them as soon as you can. You might not be able to call them right away, though.

For example, just talking on the phone might tell intruders where you are. You might not need to speak – dialing 911 and leaving the connection open will probably get the police to your door eventually – but if you want a proper response you’re going to have to tell them something.

Then you need to consider if you can wait for the cops to turn up and deal with the situation. What if your kids are asleep in another room? Do you really want to leave them there unprotected, with possible criminals roaming around, while you wait? Of course not – and that means you need to get out there and clear the house yourself.

Here’s another scenario where you may have to clear your house: you come back home and see evidence of possible intruders. Maybe a door or window has been forced; maybe an alarm’s going, or there’s a light on in a room that was dark when you left.

For whatever reason, you suspect someone may be in your home. Again, calling the cops is a smart response – if none of your family are at home, just stay outside and wait for the police. But if your loved ones are possibly inside and in danger, you might need to react.

Of course, in a SHTF scenario you probably won’t be able to get police help anyway. If their organization hasn’t fallen apart they’ll all be busy with other things; either way, you’re on your own. If your home’s security is compromised you’re going to have to clear it yourself.

House clearing is a skill that pretty much every veteran learned during their service, but the military way of doing it is a lot different from what you’re going to have to do. For a start you’re not going to be part of a fire team, with mutual support from other fire teams and crew-served weapons. To clear your property of intruders you need some new skills that are pretty different from the military way.

Clearing Your Home Alone

The biggest challenge in clearing your home is that you’re probably going to be doing it on your own. That can be harder or easier depending on how large your home is and how it’s laid out. Working alone, it’s very hard to guarantee total thoroughness – but you need to do the best job you can, or your efforts won’t achieve anything.

Clearing a house is all about making a potentially dangerous area secure. The key principle is that once you’ve cleared an area it needs to stay cleared; if bad guys can get back into it once you’ve moved on, either you’re going to get jumped from behind or they’ll be able to continue endangering you, your family and your property.

Have A Plan

The key to successful clearance is to be methodical. If you just rush round checking rooms at random you might miss places; you’ll probably clear others then leave them unwatched. If that’s happening you might as well not bother. Instead, have a plan of the order you plan to clear rooms and other spaces.

The obvious place to start is upstairs. If you have an attic, secure the hatch with a bolt and don’t leave ladders in place. That way you can quickly confirm visually that the attic is secure without having to go up there and leave the top floor undefended. Then, starting at your bedroom, check the high-priority rooms first (occupied bedrooms, for example) and work your way round.

Your aim is that once a room has been cleared, you should make sure you’re able to cover access to it at all times. If you have someone that can help you – even if just by shouting a warning – get them to watch the top of the stairs so you’ll know if any intruders come up them.

Once you’ve cleared each room, lock it if you can. Even a simple bolt or hook and eye on the outside works. Intruders can easily open it and get in, but they won’t be able to engage the bolt from inside, so you can easily see if a room has been reopened since you checked it. If it’s at night, turn lights on as you go to make it harder to hide.

When the top floor is done, move down a level and repeat the process, working out from the base of the stairs to make sure nobody takes the chance to sneak back up them. Clearing the house in this order also makes it easy for intruders who hear you searching to get out.

If you can persuade them to leave without a confrontation that’s safer for you and your family. On the ground floor, make sure that any exterior doors and windows are secure as you clear.

Eventually, you should have covered the entire house. If there are any intruders they’ll either have escaped or you’ll have found them. A methodical search plan – rehearse it in advance – gives you the best odds of a thorough clearance.

As you clear each room use the same methodical methods. As you enter, give the room a quick sweep for any obvious threats. Then mentally divide it into sectors – the “slice of pie” method – and scan each one in turn.

If a sector has large furniture look in and around it as you search. The barrel of your weapon should always track with your gaze, so if you do see a threat you can react immediately. If you’re using a flashlight that should track with the weapon as well.

Let’s look at how this works in practice. Say you’ve just woken up and you suspect there’s an intruder in your home. The first thing you need to do is secure your immediate area – the bedroom. That deals with the immediate threat, and gives you a safe place to plan the rest of the clearance.

Next, move out and clear the neighboring rooms. In the example that means the next bedroom, and then the bathroom.

That leaves you with a secure, cleared area at one end of the property, and if you know the cops are on the way you can leave it at that – by covering the hallway you can secure yourself and your family.

If you need to clear the rest, though, it starts to get difficult – it’s hard to avoid leaving uncleared areas behind you for a while.Start by clearing the remaining rooms.

With that done, finish up by checking the closets in the hallway just in case anyone’s hiding in them. With that done, your home should be cleared.

As you can see, the problem is that while you’re clearing the kitchen and living room any intruders are free to move around the hall. One solution is to have someone cover the hallway.

Bolts or locks on each door will also solve the problem and make sure cleared areas stay cleared.

Moving Tactically

To stay as safe as possible as you clear, it’s important to move in a way that minimizes your target profile. Try not to silhouette yourself against lights, and avoid framing yourself – putting yourself in the center of a door or passage makes you more visible and easier to aim at, so stay off to one side where you can.

When going through a door stay to one side. Don’t hug walls too close either, though – if it comes to shooting, stray bullets that hit a wall a glancing blow can ride along it for a good distance.

Don’t move into spaces where there’s an uncleared area behind you. When you clear a room get out of the doorway as fast as possible, and either get your back to the wall or into a corner you can see is clear. That way you can scan the room without worrying what’s behind you.

Be aware that when you scan a room from outside the door, even if you’re close to the door there will be significant blind spots to either side of it.

Clearing a house on your own is a tough job – but it’s not impossible, if you think it through and do it in an organized way. Take some time now to work out what sequence you’d clear your home in if you suspected an intruder; a few minutes of planning could make all the difference when it counts.

So you’ve taken all the precautions you can think of against intruders. You’ve cleared away cover around your home, fitted quality door and window locks and made sure your tools