The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) launcher proved to be a highly effective weapon against the battle droid forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Its powerful EMP waves could both disable droids by causing short circuits and completely destroy their internal electronics. It was the main weapon utilized by Clone jet troopers.
Manufactured by Merr-Sonn, the electromagnetic pulse launcher functioned as an ion weapon specifically designed to disrupt Confederacy of Independent Systems battle droids. The projectile would explode upon hitting a solid object, inflicting ion damage to the droids' circuits. This electrical surge would short out the droids' neural network, rendering them inoperable. An EMP launcher blast often caused droids to fall apart due to the electromagnetic couplings of their limbs being overloaded. The Galactic Republic's Grand Army clone jet troopers deployed the EMP launcher on numerous battlefronts throughout the Clone Wars.
The EMP launcher is featured in the Star Wars: Battlefront video game series as the primary weapon for the jet trooper, the Republic's specialized unit. In the initial game, the weapon releases potent electromagnetic pulses on impact, reliably destroying fully-shielded droidekas with just two hits. While it maintains its designation and role as the jet trooper's main weapon in the sequel, the ion effect was removed, causing it to behave like a standard rocket launcher. It also makes an appearance in the 2004 novel Republic Commando: Hard Contact.
Within The Clone Wars Campaign Guide, the EMP launcher is classified as an "EMP grenade launcher" among the clone jet trooper's weaponry. This contradicts the original Star Wars: Battlefront video game, where the weapon functions as a rocket launcher. Furthermore, the game's strategy guide describes the discharge as a pure burst of electromagnetic energy rather than a physical projectile.