Do you think the level of secrecy required to pull off an attack as large as Pearl Harbor would be possible today?

The book opens with Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Do you think the level of secrecy required to pull off such a maneuver would be possible today?

I think it would be difficult because of the ability to spy on other countries. Japan was rather isolated and had complete control of it's country and people so could keep secrets.
The USA is stupid enough to let a Chinese spy balloon traverse the from one end to the other. I doubt we'd be smart enough to pull off anything!

No way--sonar, radar, space satellites, so many means of detection now--not even a question of keeping secret the plans--the movement of such a large force would set off so many warnings on so many levels with so many instruments.

I don't think that Chinese balloon was unnoticed--or any of them for that matter--there were several in several parts of the world--the question more pressing is why we didn't do anything about it sooner.

So, while the movement of such a force would not go unnoticed, what our response would be is the question.

I don’t think the same kind of attack is possible, however our dependence on computers and Artificial Intelligence make us vulnerable in yet to be discovered ways.

I do - Terrorism exists - cyber attacks exist.

Not a physical attack, at least on the scale of Pearl Harbor, taking weeks to move the Japanese navy. A cyber attack, however.....

I don't think this kind of surprise attack would be possible considering all the high-tech communication systems in use by the military today.

I think right now it would be highly unlikely to pull off something on that scale. When Russia was getting ready to invade Ukraine everyone knew it was going to happen for a good week. But I think smaller, equally devastating attacks are possible - an attack on our power grid or banking system would likely be at least as destructive as a bombing. I also think countries with the resources are developing weapons that are faster and not as easily detected.

Not sure what is meant by "large." More people died in 9/11 than in Pearl Harbor.
Both led to subsequent wars. One we won, the other we lost.

I agree with many of the other posts that state in this day and age with such sophisticated monitoring, tracking, communication systems, it would be very difficult. I do think cyber attacks is a completely different matter and we are at risk for those.

Though I agree with the above, there are two caveats to consider that could make something like that possible today. First is the ability to release disinformation via all kinds of media that did not exist during WWII. The government (ours or that of foreign nations) use all kinds of social media as well as the news media to release disinformation to distract from real events. The other thing to consider is that we don’t know what types of new and advanced weapons or military equipment (planes, submarines, drones, etc.) are ready to roll.

I agree with earlier comments -- I think it would be difficult to carry off something like Pearl Harbor today but I do think that a cyber attack could be as dangerous to the world and be done in secret.

I think another Pearl Harbor like attack MIGHT be possible. We knew about the Japanese were planning something. We just didn't know what and were too content to "mind our own business" to think we would be attacked. we were caught flat footed by our own feeling of invulnerability.

I think another Pearl Harbor like attack MIGHT be possible. We knew the Japanese were planning something. We just didn't know what and were too content to "mind our own business" to think we would be attacked. We were caught flat footed by our own feeling of invulnerability.

I do not think it would be easy to pull off much of anything these days and keep it a secret. ( Although Biden's trip to the Ukraine on a train through Europe was a well kept secret) But with something as large as Pearl Harbor, I don't think it could be as much of a suprise as it was then. Social media, text messages, and all the cell phones in the world would not be silent. and then satellites would see the huge number of planes used.

I think it would be difficult for it to happen today. In a world of 24 hour media cycles, somebody would probably be reporting something. There is also the fact that countries are much better at spying on each other now than they used to be, especially with the use of satellites.

We are definitely moving away from grand set piece battles of the 20th century. Today's crippling attacks will start with cyber attacks and taking down another nation's grid. I'm more terrified of an EMP attack than a "Red Dawn" type of invasion.

With the current reliance on electronic communications and the monitoring of those communications, I think it would be difficult to pull off. I guess if all communication was through means that were not electronic, it might be possible, but the logistics of that just don't seem possible anymore.

This type of attack would be very difficult today with all the imaging we have and all the spying that is done, even on friends, as we just saw from the leaks in the past few weeks.