[null and void]

EMP is Electro-Magnetic Pulse.

This pulse of energy generates current in conductors the same way moving a magnet in a coil does.

Only on steroids.

The resulting current spike is so high it fries any electronics connected to the power lines, and any battery powered electronics that are close enough, or have antenna.

Pretty hard on a modern society...

[Spktyr]

Addendum: EMP will fry any non-hardened (specially built/prepared) or unshielded piece of electronics in the vicinity that relies on semiconductors or transistors - in other words, most anything made in the last 40 years. (Note that car fuel injection and ignition systems will probably be unaffected because it turns out that a car is a decent Faraday cage or shield against EMP, and the computers inside are also shielded by their own metal casings.)

Most US military equipment and satellites are still hardened against EMP. Most commercial gear is not. Most commercial satellites are not - and if it was a big enough nuke, the resulting EMP blast could knock out an unprotected satellite in orbit over or near the point of detonation.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

So, that’s the new bomb I’ve heard about that can be launched from 200 miles out at sea that could fry all our technology. Would they have used that type of weapon on a nuclear weapons target? I didn’t think it would destroy buildings or leave a hole. Surely, they would have used the MOAB or whatever the bunker buster is called.

(I’m so not a military type. I have only taken an interest because of my bible studies and my conscience bothers me tremendously that I’m so fascinated with all this military stuff. I’ve discovered that I’m complicated. ;-) )