A Decision-Making Framework for Electromagnetic Pulse Hardening Prioritisation of Critical Facilities

Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) events pose a significant and growing threat to critical infrastructure, including transportation systems, power grids, military installations, and communication networks. However, due to constraints such as financial, technical, and operational limitations, protecting all facilities against EMP is impractical. There is a notable research gap in identifying effective prioritisation factors for EMP hardening. This study develops a novel decision-making framework to address this challenge, utilising the modified Delphi method to systematically identify, refine, and weight key prioritisation criteria. A case study is conducted to demonstrate the framework’s application, enabling prioritisation based on weighted vulnerability and criticality assessments. The results highlight the framework’s ability to guide resource allocation efficiently, ensuring that high-priority facilities receive appropriate EMP protection. By providing a structured and adaptable approach, this framework enables decision-makers to optimise EMP resilience while addressing country-specific risks and constraints. Unlike prior frameworks, it explicitly combines expert consensus with quantitative scoring to guide EMP hardening priorities.