Hunch? That’s a straight up conclusion, my FRiend. Someone has figured out how to capitalize on this EMP nonsense and has the ear of a congress critters.
Fortunately, based on past performance we can conclude that this equipment will not only not work as designed, may in fact cause fires (Karmas burning in newark parking lot were spectacular addition to Sandy damage!) and other unforseen injuries and damages.
Joy. Bliss.
(Hide!)
In the military, in the 1980s, we had this argument with some foreign units, we Americans had to carry heavy EMP protected radios, while the Danes for example, got to carry a tiny little radio that the unit developed itself, but which was totally unprotected.
The argument was what would happen if some nukes went off, would they be left as useless in the field, unable to send back their intelligence.
Who was right?
Here is a 1993 Canadian report from their defence, Radiation Effects Section Electronics Division on EMP and the PRC-77, the radio we used in the 1980s.