Nuclear War Simulations: The Aftermath, By Richard Miller (Europe)
The U.S. Department of Defense, according to a recent procurement notice posted on SAM.gov, the site for government registry for vendors doing business with the federal government, has been studying the possible effects of nuclear strikes upon the world's agriculture. The simulations have been undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). The aim is for further research on these effects: "The minimum needs of this contract are that the contractor provide all personnel, equipment, facilities, supervision, and other items necessary to conduct studies that demonstrate modelling of nuclear warfare on a global scale that would lead to destruction of the agriculture systems such as farms."
With the world rapidly heading towards possible nuclear war, it would have been a good idea to have researched these effects years ago, just to know what might be install rather than finding out the hard way.
"The U.S. Department of Defense has initiated a program to simulate the devastating effects of nuclear strikes on global agriculture, with a focus on regions "beyond Eastern Europe and Western Russia," according to a recent procurement notice posted on SAM.gov.
SAM.gov is the official U.S. government registry for vendors doing business with the federal government.
The simulation, spearheaded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), seeks to model a potential nuclear disaster's impact on food production systems.
"The minimum needs of this contract are that the contractor provide all personnel, equipment, facilities, supervision, and other items necessary to conduct studies that demonstrate modelling of nuclear warfare on a global scale that would lead to destruction of the agriculture systems such as farms," the description reads.
The contract will be awarded to Terra Analytics, a Boulder, Colorado-based company specializing in advanced data modeling.
According to the notice, the study aims to "build upon previous research efforts" to optimize AgriShock, a sophisticated software suite designed to simulate the fallout of nuclear warfare on agricultural infrastructure.
The program will focus on how nuclear events could impact farms and food supply systems, incorporating aerial mapping and extending geographic coverage to include former Eastern Bloc nations.
While Terra Analytics has been selected as the primary contractor, the notice invites other potential providers to submit proposals if they can offer similar services.
Additionally, they must be able to implement the software on Department of Defense high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
One aspect of the study involves developing a beta model to simulate how radioactive materials would affect agricultural systems in the event of a "non-destructive nuclear event."
The notice also specifies that the contractor must ensure AgriShock can be adapted for classified Department of Defense computing systems, which suggests the project is tightly controlled and linked to national security objectives.
With a total contract value of up to $34 million, the simulation highlights growing concerns within the U.S. military over the potential for nuclear conflicts and their broader global ramifications, particularly for food security.
While the notice does not go into much detail regarding a scenario involving an active nuclear conflict, the geographic focus on Eastern Europe and Western Russia hints at the epicenter of this hypothetical situation.
This is especially relevant given the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently implied that the White House is about to lift its restrictions on Ukraine using long-range weapons supplied by the west on targets inside Russia.
This latest move by the Pentagon raises concerns about the U.S. military's increasing focus on nuclear preparedness.
By modelling the impacts of nuclear events on global agriculture, the Defense Department is preparing for the wide-reaching consequences of such conflicts—consequences that go beyond immediate destruction to include potential long-term global food shortages.
This notice comes at a time when geopolitical tensions are running high, and the expansion of nuclear preparedness programs may signal a shift in military priorities.
Back in March, Joe Biden ordered U.S. forces to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with Russia, China, and North Korea.
The nuclear simulation project is likely to deepen anxieties about the future of global agriculture in the event of nuclear escalation, as well as the U.S. government's strategic focus on Eastern Europe and Russia in its defense planning."
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