EMI is certainly not a new concept, and in the evolution of communications systems, it was quickly followed with intentional EMI (radio jamming for instance).

The relevance of this subject now has to due with the drastic increase of the impacts of IEMI. Electronic systems are relied upon to take ever more responsibility (i.e. fly-by-wire aircraft, anti-lock braking systems, and automated factories), are increasingly complex, and increasingly more vulnerable as the components shrink and operate with ever lower energy levels.

The technology of compact power sources and research into weaponizing IEMI has led to a series of conferences, international standards, and reports from various factions including:

• Congress has had a number of hearings regarding IEMI in the last decade and the possible impacts to critical infrastructure.
• The US Navy issued a report in 2005 detailing the ways that RF weapons can interfere with network, SCADA, and communications equipment as well as some ways to protect facilities.
• The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has issued standards describing the IEMI threat environment and shielding requirements.
• There have been many conferences, academic and defense industry focused, that have had topics on IEMI and the threat to infrastructure (EUROEM conference over several years, DEPS (Directed Energy Professionals Society), IEEE, IEC, etc.)