In this paper, numerical results obtained by the application of a stable marching-on-in-time solution scheme of the electric field integral equation are compared against experimental data, assuming as a testing case that of electromagnetic scattering from perfectly electrically conducting bodies. The experiments have been performed in an electromagnetic pulse hardware simulator, reproducing plane wave illumination conditions. The surface current densities induced on the metallic bodies have been measured by means of probes sensitive to the tangential magnetic fields. The measured current densities have therefore been processed in order to eliminate the effects of the measuring instrument chain. Near-field measurements have been performed by using probes sensitive to the electric field. Experimental data show a good agreement with numerical predictions. ¿ 2000 American Geophysical Union