Electromagnetic pulse

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also referred to as a transient electromagnetic disturbance (TED), is a brief burst of electromagnetic energy. The origin of an EMP can be natural or artificial, and can occur as an electromagnetic field, as a magnetic field, or as a conducted electric current. The electromagnetic interference caused by an EMP can disrupt communications and damage electronic equipment. An EMP such as a lightning strike can physically damage objects such as buildings and aircraft. The management of EMP effects is a branch of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) engineering.

The solar storm of August 1859, known as the Carrington Event, is historically significant as the first major recorded instance of geomagnetic damage to electrical infrastructure, though it is physically classified as a long-duration geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) rather than a transient electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

For modern warfare, weapons delivering a high energy EMP are designed to disrupt communications equipment, computers needed to operate modern warplanes, or even put the entire electrical network of a target country out of commission. Nuclear weapons may also produce nuclear electromagnetic pulses.