EMP effects in T2K

[vihkr]

Is it just me or does there seem to be too much high-tech in T2K? The effects of EMP and HEMP (High altitude EMP) are fairly well understood as of now and with all those nukes going off, wouldn't at least some of the electronics in use by armies be disabled? I'm thinking tank fire control systems, night vision devices, radio and the like. Tanks would have some shielding, to be sure, but portable electronics would certainly be affected--and don't tell me every solider witnessing a nuclear attack would have the presence of mind to throw their NVGs into Faraday cage (think ammo can) at the moment of attack. I don't recall any rules to that effect. Has anyone limited or restricted electronic devices in their campaigns because of EMP?

While we're on the subject, how well would a battery powered red dot or holographic reflex sight (Aimpoint or EOTech) fare in terms of surviving EMP? Thoughts?

[Slappy]

You may be right in terms of that gear, but I've always thought that there was too much EMP damage in terms of civilian gear.

The idea that there aren't any working computers in all of Europe seems too much. If nothing else, they would have been recovered from areas away from nuke sites and moved.

I think the real problem was the foresight to understand how much electronic gear there would have been in the world in 2000 when they were writing in the1980s.

[The Dark]

Altitude would be a significant factor. Below about 10 kilometers, EMP is almost negligible because most of the electrons are absorbed by atmosphere before they can interact with Earth's magnetic field. Smaller items will also tend to be safer - check the appendix to this paper (note: PDF) for some common EMP myths.

[vihkr]

Originally Posted by The Dark

...check the appendix to this paper (note: PDF) for some common EMP myths...

Er, thanks for you reply. Which is basically: go RTF 168 page M!

LOL!

[The Dark]

Originally Posted by vihkr

Er, thanks for you reply. Which is basically: go RTF 168 page M!

LOL!

I don't know of a way to target the link to open at the appendix, unfortunately. It's the last two pages (167-168).

[StainlessSteelCynic]

More thread necromancy from me...

Found the following via an article about Aussie Centurion MBTs used in Vietnam. It provides an anecdotal account starting in 1953, when one of the then very new Australian Centurions (number 169041) was placed about 500 yards from the blast zone of a nuclear weapons test.
The device was detonated on a tower so not quite a ground detonation but not a typical airburst height either. The tower and 169041 are visible in image #8.

The results are quite interesting and support the comment above from TheDark (AKA Vespers War). The last paragraph of the page is interesting in itself. 169041 was still operational in 1995 as a 'mascot' vehicle of the 1st Armoured Regiment.

http://www.raeme.info/opse746.php?op...item=3#article

[bash]

I've always been a bit doubtful about the supposed awesome destructive power of EMPs in T2K. They will cause damage and some electronics will get turned into paper weights, no argument there, but it's not some instant Dark Ages weapon.

For one an inducted charge is going to be dependent on the length of conductors. While microelectronics are susceptible to high voltage charges, there's not a lot of long unshielded wires in most electronics to get some huge induced charge. EMPs also don't break the laws of physics, current can't flow through broken circuits so equipment with batteries removed, power cables unplugged, and antennas removed could stand a good chance of survival. By the 90s surge protectors were also pretty widely used in homes (well my home at least) which would protect a lot of equipment from surges on power lines.

There's also the sociological aspect of the EMPs used in the TDM. The war had been rolling for a few years and tactical nukes had been used. All countries that were potential nuke targets would be blaring out old Civil Defense material and printing up "Best Practices for Nuke Targets" flyers. People would be sticking electronics in old ammo cans and grounded metal cabinets. It would just be common practice by TDM to unplug unused electronics and keep the batteries separate. The Halliburton suitcase would be the laptop case of the decade.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by bash

I've always been a bit doubtful about the supposed awesome destructive power of EMPs in T2K.

It's just a bit of "handwavium" the authors included to make a darker, more "interesting" game world in the same manner they nerfed radiation half life to make the post nuke locations somewhat survivable.
No point thinking too much about it - just run with "EMP screws electronics in T2K" and get on with having fun.