This IEEE AP-S DL talk will focus on electromagnetic wave propagation which has long been one of the important options for medium and long-range communication as well as radar systems. In addition to the classical LF/MF/HF broadcast and communication systems, emerging HF and VHF radar technologies, intelligent transportation or digital radio broadcast systems require understanding propagation characteristics over the Earth’s surface along realistic propagation paths. It is therefore propagation engineers’ or site surveyors’ dream to have a numerical propagation tool that calculates path losses between any two points marked on their digital maps. This necessitates the solution of electromagnetic (EM) wave equation in three-dimension (3D) which takes into account various EM effects, such as, the irregular terrain profile, the vegetation, the Earth’s curvature, the atmospheric refractivity, the presence of buildings, cars, and other obstacles, etc. Also, it must include all the relevant scattering components (e.g., multiple reflections and refractions, edge/tip diffractions, surface and/or leaky waves, etc.) that account for the path loss. Unfortunately, this is not yet in sight. The aim of this presentation is to review electromagnetic wave propagation models and numerical propagation prediction tools and discuss problems and challenges as well as to project future developments. Co-sponsored by: Staracom Speaker(s): Prof. Levent Sevgi, Room: L-2710, Bldg: Pavillons Lassonde, 2500 Chemin de Polytechnique, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3T1J4