Electronic warfare

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Electronic Warfare (EWAR) decreases the enemy's effectiveness in battle using electronics-based modules. It is often categorized as a "force multiplier" because, without actually dealing any direct damage, electronic warfare can make a fleet several times more dangerous.

There are four basic kinds of electronic warfare:

  • Electronic Counter Measures (ECM, or "jams")
  • Weapon Disruption
  • Remote Sensor Dampening (RSD, or "damps")
  • Target Painting

Each of the four player races specializes in one of these types of EWAR, and has ships specially bonused to that EWAR type. The use of tackling modules to hold the enemy in place, and of capacitor warfare modules to drain or steal capacitor, are both sometimes casually referred to as EWAR. However, at Eve University, EWAR typically refers to the four varieties above.

Visual effects for the different types of EWAR are shown on the Identifying Visual Effects page.

Electronic Counter Measures (ECM)

Targeted ECM: Mechanics, Modules, and Ships

ECM causes the targeted ship to lose all of its current target locks (often called 'jamming' the targeted ship). The jammed ship cannot target anyone or anything for the duration of the ECM module's cycle (20 seconds), and can only re-acquire its targets after the ECM module fails to jam its target or stops cycling. ECM is often considered the most powerful of the four types of EWAR, because it renders an opponent virtually helpless, disabling their interactions with other ships and with their environment.

However, there are two important, unique downsides to ECM. First, ECM modules jam their targets at the end of their 20-second module cycle, which means that the jamming ship has to stay alive and locked for 20 seconds before the opposing ship is jammed. As a result, ECM pilots are often high-priority targets for opposing fleets. Second, the success of each ECM module cycle is a matter of chance, with a probability that depends on the jam strength of the ECM module and the sensor strength of the target (with larger targets generally harder to jam than smaller ones). That probability is also affected by the distance to the target; ECM modules have the same, base chance-to-jam anywhere within the module's optimal range, but the chance decreases through falloff, such that ECM is only half as likely to work at (optimal + falloff). Taken together, all this means that sometimes you will jam the opposing ship, and sometimes you won't, and each cycle of your ECM modules is like a roll of the dice.

ECM is the EWAR specialty of the Caldari race. A number of Caldari ships are bonused for ECM:

In addition, the Tengu (the Caldari Tech III cruiser) can be fit with subsystems that give it bonuses to ECM, but these subsystems are rarely used. The Caldari are the only race that fields EWAR-bonused battleships (the Scorpion and Widow). Because of the low base strength of ECM modules, the bonuses from these Caldari ships are necessary, in practice, to get any useful effect from ECM. Fitting ECM to any other ship is a waste of a slot.

ECM modules can be racially specific—excellent at jamming one target race's sensor type, but poor against the other three—or they can be "multispectral", equally mediocre at jamming all four races' sensors. Tech I ECM modules are available in meta versions with improved range ("Scoped"), CPU fitting ("Compact"), or capacitor usage ("Enduring"). All of these variations means that there are very many Tech I modules that accomplish targeted ECM, and even more Tech II, faction and storyline variants. To illustrate the differences between the most common modules, the table below compares Tech I and II ECM modules that target Amarr (Radar) ships:

Targeted ECM Module Stats
Item CPU (tf) Powergrid (MW) Activation Cost (GJ) Optimal Range Falloff Racial jam strength Off-race jam strength Required Electronic Warfare skill level
Radar ECM I 40 1 48 24.0 km 27.0 km 3.0 1.0 I
Gloom Enduring Radar ECM 40 1 38 24.0 km 27.0 km 3.3 1.1 I
Shade Compact Radar ECM 32 1 48 24.0 km 27.0 km 3.3 1.1 I
Umbra Scoped Radar ECM 40 1 48 26.4 km 29.7 km 3.3 1.1 I
Radar ECM II 48 1 58 26.4 km 29.7 km 3.6 1.2 IV
Multispectral ECM I 50 1 72 16.0 km style="colspan:2" | 2.0 I

The first five modules in the table—Tech I, meta, and Tech II—also exist, with slightly different names, for specific targeting of Minmatar (Ladar), Gallente (Magnetometric), and Caldari (Gravimetric) sensors. Multispectral ECM modules are likewise available in meta, Tech II, faction and storyline variants. For racially specific modules, the color of the module indicates the race that it targets. Multispectral ECM modules are white.

The table above shows that multispectral ECM modules are harder to fit, use more capacitor, and have poorer range than racially specific ECM modules. As a result, Unistas are often advised to initially fit a "rainbow" of racially specific modules, covering all four target races, instead of multispectral modules. ECM pilots can then carry additional modules in their cargo holds, to re-fit in station (or in space, if they also carry a Mobile Depot) and match racial types according to intel on enemy fleet compositions. To put these numbers into perspective, a low-skill Griffin pilot with a jam strength of ~6 on each racially matched ECM module would have a 35% chance of jamming an opposing Tech I cruiser with each module's cycle. Given that the Griffin is typically fit with four ECM modules, it is easy to imagine a new Unista ECM pilot countering even a skilled enemy.

The UniWiki's ECM Guide covers ECM mechanics in more detail, including a mathematical analysis of jamming probabilities for different scenarios.

Burst Jammers

Burst Jammers are non-targeted, multispectral ECM modules that jam all surrounding targets within an effect radius. Burst Jammers do not distinguish between enemy, friendly, and NPC ships; all nearby targets are jammed, including fleetmates and neutral pilots. Burst Jammers have much shorter range than targeted ECM modules, but higher jam strength, making them particularly effective against close-range frigates and drones.

Burst Jammer Stats
Item CPU (tf) Powergrid (MW) Activation Cost (GJ) Optimal Range Falloff Jam strength Required Electronic Warfare skill level
Burst Jammer I 30 1 240 5.0 km 5.0 km 6.0 I
Burst Jammer II 36 1 288 6.0 km 6.0 km 7.2 IV

Tech I Burst Jammers are also available in Compact, Enduring, and Scoped meta versions (not shown). Importantly, most Caldari ECM ships are not bonused for Burst Jammers, only for targeted ECM; the Scorpion is the only ship in EVE that receives a Burst Jammer bonus (to range). Burst Jammers are especially dangerous to use in high-security space, because if there is anything non-engageable within the module's effect radius—including neutral ships, gates, stations, even asteroids—CONCORD will respond by destroying your ship.

ECM Bonuses

Signal Distortion Amplifiers and Warfare Links

ECM is also unique in being the only type of EWAR with a low-slot assistance module, the Signal Distortion Amplifier. Signal Distortion Amplifiers are passive modules that provide a percentage increase to the jam strength and ECM range of your ECM modules.

Signal Distortion Amplifier Stats
Item CPU (tf) Powergrid (MW) Scan Strength Increase Range Increase Required Electronic Warfare skill level
Signal Distortion Amplifier I 30 1 5% 5% III
'Hypnos' Signal Distortion Amplifier I (meta 4) 29 1 10% 10% III
Signal Distortion Amplifier II 30 1 10% 10% IV

Unlike ECM modules, Signal Distortion Amplifiers have not yet been re-balanced by CCP. So, because the Tech I, meta 4 'Hypnos' module has better stats than the Tech II module, it is the only version commonly used.

ECM can also assisted by a combat booster with the Information Warfare Link - Electronic Superiority (increases jam strength) and/or Recon Operation (increases range) modules active.

ECM Rigs

There are a few Electronics Superiority rigs that enhance ECM:

Particle Dispersion Augmentor: Increases the jam strength of a ship's ECM modules. (Tech I: 10%; Tech II: 15%)
Particle Dispersion Projector: Increases the optimal range of all targeted EWAR modules. (Tech I: 20%; Tech II: 25%)
Signal Disruption Amplifier: Reduces the activation cost (capacitor need) of ECM and Burst Jammer modules. (Tech I: -20%; Tech II: -25%)

These rigs are available in all sizes (Small, Medium, Large and Capital) and in both Tech I and Tech II variants. They all share the same drawback, a decrease in shields.

ECM Skills and Implants

Skills that enhance ECM:

Electronic Warfare: 5% less capacitor need for ECM and ECM Burst systems per skill level.
Long Distance Jamming: 10% bonus to optimal range for targeted EWAR modules per skill level.
Frequency Modulation: 10% bonus to falloff for targeted EWAR modules per skill level.
Signal Dispersion: 5% bonus to strength of all ECM jammers per skill level.

In addition, the Low- and Mid-Grade Centurion implant series provides bonuses to the optimal range of all EWAR modules, and the Zainou 'Gypsy' Electronic Warfare EW-901/906 reduces the activation cost of ECM and Burst Jammers by 1-6%.

Tracking Disruption (TD)

Tracking disruption is used to decrease the optimal range and falloff and/or the tracking speed of turrets. Decreasing the optimal range of a weapon makes it less effective at longer range: it won't be able to hit targets at great range that it could hit perfectly before. Decreasing tracking speed (the weapons' turning speed) makes it harder for the weapons to follow a moving target and hit it properly. Additionally, you can use scripts for tracking disruptors to focus on either decreasing targeting range and falloff or decreasing the tracking speed.

The Amarr race has ships that get bonuses for using tracking disruptors. The tech 1 ships that get bonuses for tracking disruption are Crucifier and Arbitrator. The ship pages have example fits for Tracking Disruption.

Tracking Disruptor (TD) - Optimal ranges and falloffs
Item Optimal Range Falloff Optimal Range Modifier Falloff Modifier Tracking Speed Modifier
Tech 1 (No script) 40km 20km -17.0% -17.0% -17.0%
Tech 1 (Optimal range script) 40km 20km -34.0% -34.0% -0%
Tech 1 (Tracking script) 40km 20km -0% -0% -34.0%
Tech 2 (No script) 48km 24km -19.1% -19.1% -19.1%
Tech 2 (Optimal range script)  48km 24km -38.2% -38.2% -0%
Tech 2 TD (Tracking script) 48km 24km -0% -0% -38.2%

The Tech 1 (meta4) "Balmer Series Tracking Disruptor" has the same range, falloff and bonuses as the Tech 2 TD with 30% less CPU usage and a lower activation cost.

Required skills:

  • CPU Management III
  • Tech 1: Weapon disruption I
  • Tech 2: Weapon disruption IV

Note: Because tracking disruption modules don't work against missiles, drones, EWAR or logistics ships, tracking disruption is considered by some to be weaker than sensor dampening or ECM.

Remote Sensor Dampening (damps, RSD)

Sensor dampening is the counterpart of sensor boosting. The remote sensor dampener can be used to decrease the targeting range and/or the targeting speed (measured in scan resolution) of your targets ship. With this decrease the target can either lock at a smaller range and/or lock slower due to the locking time decrease. Additional you can use scripts for remote sensor dampeners to focus on either increasing the targeting range penalty or the targeting speed penalty. With the specific script loaded the other penalty is taken away.

The Gallente race has ships that get bonuses for using remote sensor dampeners. The tech 1 ships that get bonuses for remote sensor dampening are: Maulus and Celestis. RSD is very useful against enemy logistics and EWAR by cutting their locking range so that their targets will become unlocked. Since Retribution, the Celestis can now outrange the Blackbird.


Remote Sensor Dampener
Item Optimal Range Falloff Targeting Range Modifier Scan Resolution Modifier
Tech 1 No script 30km 50km -15.2% -15.2%
Tech 1 Scan resolution script 30km 50km -0% 30.4%
Tech 1 Targeting range script 30km 50km -30.4% -0%
Tech 2 No script 36km 60km -17% -17%
Tech 2 Scan resolution script 36km 60km -0% -34%
Tech 2 Targeting range script 36km 60km -34% -0%

It is important to note that the Tech 1 "Phased Muon Sensor Dampener I" has the identical range and falloff as the Tech 2 variant while using 30% less CPU.

Skill requirements:

  • CPU Management III
  • Tech 1: Sensor Linking I
  • Tech 2: sensor Linking IV

Target Painting (TP)

Target painting is used to increase the target's signature radius, increasing the effectiveness of weapons against the target. This module mainly comes in handy if you need a large ship to hit a smaller ship. Normally, for example, a battleship has a hard time hitting a frigate, or only does minimal damage to it. Using the target painter on the frigate will make it much easier for the battleship to hit it. Note that the target painter will help everyone shooting at that target, not just the painting ship. The painter is also useful for bombers against smaller targets. See Does a Target Painter help Turrets?

The Minmatar race has ships that get bonuses for using target painters. The tech 1 ships that get bonuses for using target painters are: Vigil and Bellicose.


Target Painter
Item Optimal Range Falloff Target Signature Increase
Tech 1 25km 50km 25%
Tech 2 30km 60km 30%


Required skills:

  • CPU Management III
  • Tech 1: Target Painting I
  • Tech 2: Target Painting IV

Capacitor Warfare

You have probably heard the phrase 'cap is life' during your time in EVE. There are many good reasons why this is true, and each one is also a reason why Capacitor Warfare can be extremely effective. Capacitor keeps many tanks working, directly feeds laser and hybrid turrets, and fully powers the fighting mid slot modules including all EWAR modules and propulsion systems. An enemy without capacitor is an enemy without options, allowing you to dictate the flow of the battle - kill them your way or if something goes wrong you can always be confident of escape since warp jamming requires cap.

Capacitor Warfare, defined as direct action taken to reduce or eliminate the capacitor of a target, can be accomplished by using two types of Engineering Equipment modules, the Energy Destabilizers (also called neutralizers or neuts) and the Energy Vampires (also called nosferatu or nos). There are also neuting drones (light, medium and heavy): Acolyte EV-300, Infiltrator EV-600, and Praetor EV-900. However these are significantly less powerful than equivalently sized modules.

Please see the Capacitor Warfare Guide for details.

Additional module(s)

Sensor Booster (sebo)

The sensor booster can increase the targeting range and/or the targeting speed (measured in scan resolution) of your ship when activated. With this increase you can either lock the target at a greater range and/or lock him faster due to the locking time decrease. Additionally you can use scripts for the sensor booster to focus on either increasing the targeting range bonus or the targeting speed bonus. With the specific script loaded the other bonus is taken away.

Sensor Booster
Item Targeting Range Scan Resolution
Tech 1 No script +25% +25%
Tech 1 Scan resolution script +0% +50%
Tech 1 Targeting range script +50% +0%
Tech 2 No script +30% +30%
Tech 2 Scan resolution script +0% +60%
Tech 2 Targeting range script +60% +0%

Skill Requirements:

  • CPU Management II
  • Tech 1: Long Range Targeting I
  • Tech 2: Long Range Targeting IV

Remote Sensor Booster (ReSeBo)

The remote sensor booster can be used on a target ship to increases its targeting range and/or the targeting speed (measured in scan resolution) when activated - thereby allowing it to lock a target at a greater range and/or lock it faster due to the locking time decrease. They have a much greater effect than local sensor booster. This can be used to counteract remote sensor dampening. Additionally like their local version, you can use scripts for the remote sensor booster to focus on either increasing the targeting range bonus or the targeting speed bonus. With the specific script loaded the other bonus is taken away.

Sensor Booster
Item Targeting Range Scan Resolution
Tech 1 No script +33.8% +33.8%
Tech 1 Scan resolution script +0% +67%
Tech 1 Targeting range script +67% +0%
Tech 2 No script +40% +40%
Tech 2 Scan resolution script +0% +80%
Tech 2 Targeting range script +80% +0%

Skill Requirements:

  • CPU Management III
  • Tech 1: Sensor Linking I
  • Tech 2: Sensor Linking IV

How to use EWAR

There are two techniques commonly used for EWAR. One is to sit at range with minimal tank and attack your enemies while hopefully being out of range of their damage. The other, is to fit (often a very heavy) tank and remain with the DPS. The advantage of this is being able to get reps from any logi ships you have with you and not being in trouble if you jump into a fleet. The disadvantage is that you give up rig slots (and, if in an ECM ship, low slots) for tank which could be used to make your EWAR more effective. The ranged technique is outlined below.

If the target is in range:

  • 1. Turn Sensor Booster on. (If you have one. If are camping a gatecamp, this should be on already.)
  • 2. Lock target.
    • This step depends on the FC's orders and your location. Generally speaking ECM, TD and damps should be spread out on the opponents, ignoring primary. TP's should all be on the primary. (The designated targets should match the EW modules you have equipped: so don't put a TD on a missile boat. And it might be a good thing to open up a separate chat channel for all the EW people, so you can keep everything well spread.)
  • 3a. If your orders are to orbit a gate, keep orbiting. If you get targeted you can jump through. (Unless you activated an aggressive module so cannot.)
  • 3b. If you are at your optimal range, align to a planet. If you are targeted you can warp away and warp back in.
  • 4. Activate the electronic warfare module on your designated target. You may want to overheat your ECM module for the (often critical) first cycle and gain a 20% higher strength. TD/RSD/TP modules can't be overheated.
  • 5. If the hit on the designated target is successful, put a second electronic warfare module (if you have it) on another target in the opposing fleet.
  • 6. There is no 6, let's jam it.
  • 7. ECM: If you 'miss' a cycle be ready to warp away if you get targeted.


If the target is outside range there are two possibilities:

  • You messed up. You are in the wrong place.
  • The target warped to a bookmark where only the longest-range electronic warfare can reach.

Remember, always be either aligned to a celestial (preferably a planet) to warp to or be in range of a gate to jump through.

Electronic warfare skills

As explained above, each kind of electronic warfare requires that you have an associated skill (along with CPU Management III) before you can use it. Each skill reduces the capacitor need of the associated EWAR module by 5% per level. The four skills are:

One of these skills to level 1 together with the skill required to fly an appropriate EWAR frigate -- at the most, a few hours' training time in total -- are all you need to fly in an EWAR role in a uni fleet and potentially make a big battlefield impact. This is why the EWAR role is one of the roles recommended for new pilots in Eve University.

There are further skills which can increase your EWAR effectiveness: these aren't a concern for new players, but may be worth training if you are planning on regularly flying in the electronic warfare role. Each kind of electronic warfare also has a second associated skill which actually makes it more effective. These skills require CPU Management V and four levels in one of the skills listed above. The four skills are:

  • For ECM: Signal Dispersion - 5% bonus to strength of ECM jammers per level, requires CPU Management V and Electronic Warfare IV
  • For TD: Turret Destabilization - 5% bonus per level to the problems your TD modules cause the enemy, requires CPU Management V and Weapon Disruption IV
  • For damps: Signal Suppression - 5% bonus per level to the problems your dampeners cause the enemy, requires CPU Management V and Sensor Linking IV
  • For TP: Signature Focusing - 5% bonus per level to the effect of your painters on the target's signature radius, requires CPU Management V and Target Painting IV

There are also two skills which increase the range of all four kinds of electronic warfare:

Although it has 'jamming' in its name, Long Distance Jamming definitely affects target painting, tracking disruption and remote sensor dampening as well as ECM. Despite this, both these skills have Electronic Warfare (yes, the ECM skill) as a prerequisite: EW II for Frequency Modulation, EW III for Long Distance Jamming. Drone users might as well train EW to IV, since it is also a prerequisite for Advanced Drone Avionics, which increases your drone control range (for all drones) and unlocks EW drones.

Other significant skills for electronic warfare are your spaceship command skills for your EWAR platform of choice (ship bonuses mean that the Crucifier's TD gets better as your Amarr Frigate skill levels up, the Blackbird produces better ECM as your Caldari Cruiser skill levels up, and so on) and skills that help you target more things, faster and further away: Targeting, Signature Analysis and Long Range Targeting.

Hit Chance

It should be noted that while these modules don't have to worry about tracking, they do have a chance to 'miss.' If the target is outside your optimal range your chance to miss will depend on the target's range and your module's falloff. See Optimal and Falloff.

For example, say your target painter has an optimal of 25km and a falloff of 50km. Your target painter will always work within 25km. If your target is at 75km (25+50), you have a 50% chance of missing. This means either the 25% signature radius bonus will apply or not. It doesn't mean that the bonus is reduced by 50%.

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