Definition
A back-end computer system used by the FAA to monitor, maintain, and manage the health of the en route automation equipment that supports air traffic control between terminal areas. It tracks the status of processors and related hardware/software, flags faults, and helps technicians keep the en route ATC system running reliably.
Plain English
A behind-the-scenes FAA computer system that watches over the equipment running high-altitude air traffic control and alerts technicians when something needs attention.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA acronym and abbreviation lists, especially when reading about systems that support en route air traffic control.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots don't interact with EMPS directly, but it's part of the infrastructure that keeps en route ATC services available. When this kind of system has problems, pilots may notice it as radar or communication outages along their route.
Intuition Check
Do not read EMPS as an aircraft system. In this context, it refers to FAA ground equipment used to support air traffic control maintenance.
Example Sentence 1
The technician used EMPS to identify which en route processor was producing the fault alarm.
Example Sentence 2
Data from the EMPS helps confirm that en route equipment is serviceable before flights begin.