MIL-STD-461G: Electromagnetic Interference Characteristics of Equipment
MIL-STD-461G is the military test standard that establishes requirements for the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of devices and systems created for and used by the United States Department of Defense (DoD). In the pages of MIL-STD-461G, a comprehensive set of test procedures are defined to fulfill the DoD’s electromagnetic emissions and susceptibility regulations. The test procedures are broken up into four groups: radiated emissions (RE), conducted emissions (CE), radiated susceptibility (RS) and conducted susceptibility (CS). Procedures are named with one of the two-letter abbreviations followed by a code; for example, RE103, a radiation emissions test procedure specific to antenna spurious and harmonic outputs.
Detecting rogue signals and electromagnetic interference is crucial to the military, as everything from a cellphone to a navigation component on a stealth jet produces an electromagnetic field and can potentially threaten safety, efficiency or secret communications. The DoD created an Electromagnetic Compatibility Program to address the growing concern that EMI was affecting military operations with the goal of integrating electromagnetic compatibility into defense industry R&D. Ever since, the three branches of the military have collaborated to produce updated and expanded versions, culmunating in the most recent edition of the standard: MIL-STD-461G. The changes made between MIL-STD-461F and MIL-STD-461G can be seen below. Major differences include the removal of CS106 and the addition of CS117 and CS118.
View the differences between MIL-STD-461F and MIL-STD-461G.
Requirement Matrix
Equipment
CE101
CE102
CE106
CS101
CS103
CS104
CS105
CS109
CS114
Surface Ships
A
A
L
A
S
L
S
L
A
Submarines
A
A
L
A
S
L
S
L
A
Aircraft,