electronicwarfare
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DARPA is developing an unjammable communications chip
Electronic warfare (EW) techniques -- from killing missiles with microwaves to downing drones with radio interference -- have become an integral part of modern wars. This issue is exasperated by the fact that both sides in a conflict must also compete for the finite spread of interference-free wireless spectrum with which they operate their multitude of wireless devices. To maintain American fighting superiority over the likes of China and Russia, both of whom are considered "near peers" in terms of EW combat capabilities, DARPA has developed an ultrafast chip to convert analog wireless signals into digital ones in record time.
Security researchers dissect Flame's handling program, find three new viruses 'at large'
It seems Stuxnet and Flame aren't the only out-of-control cyber-weapons roaming around the Middle East. Security researchers from Symantec and Kaspersky have found that the Flame malware had the electronic equivalent of a "handler," a program called NEWSFORYOU, which is also in charge of three further viruses that are code-named SP, SPE and IP. The trio have yet to be analyzed, because although a cache of data has been discovered on a command-and-control server, decoding it has proved "virtually impossible." While both security companies have declined to point a finger as to the viruses' origin, Reuters' sources suggest they're from the United States, while The Washington Post has been told that the project was a joint-enterprise with Israel -- in keeping with the existing narrative that this is the pair behind Stuxnet.
EVE Evolved: A year of EVE Evolved - personal favourites
Happy birthday to the EVE Evolved column! The column is one year old today. Last week, I launched a competition for one lucky reader to win a fully fitted battleship of their choice. All they had to do was leave a comment and say which previous article in the column was their favourite. 44 people entered the competition before the April 25th deadline and a winner was selected via random number generator. Congratulations to regular Massively reader Vundal! As he's a relatively new player, Vundal opted to receive a fully fitted, rigged Drake battlecruiser and a set of implants rather than a battleship of the same value. In today's column, I celebrate this anniversary occasion with a little self-indulgence as I take a look at a few of my personal favourite column posts.
EVE Evolved: Electronic Warfare, part 3
In the first two parts of this three part guide, I explained the basics of electronic warfare in EVE Online and examined the skills and equipment you'll need as an electronic warfare specialist. In this final section, I tackle the tricky issues of battlefield operations and survival.Survival:An unfortunate fact about being part of a fleet's electronic warfare crew is that you'll almost certainly be a high priority target for your enemies. To make matters worse, specialist electronic warfare ships tend to have very poor defensive capabilities. Fitting any kind of tank on an electronic warfare ship can waste vital module slots and severely impact the performance of your ship. This is particularly true in the case of ECM jamming ships where the low slots should be used for signal distortion amplifiers.What can you do to keep your ship safe on the battlefield and what should you do to help your fleet be victorious? Join me as I answer these questions in a thorough tactical overview of electronic warfare in EVE Online.
EVE Evolved: Electronic warfare, part 2
In part 1 of this guide, I delved into the world of electronic warfare in EVE Online. In this second segment, I examine the skills and equipment you'll need to be an electronic warfare specialist with special regard to ECM jammers, remote sensor dampeners and tracking disruptors. Contrary to popular belief, new pilots with few skillpoints can still be extremely useful in this area of PvP. The entry-level skills and equipment for electronic warfare specialists can be obtained within days of starting the game.Entry-level ships:Although electronic warfare modules can be fitted to any ship, each race has its own set of specialised ships that get bonuses to them. Ranging from cheap expendable frigates up to expensive force recon ships, there are specialist ships for players of all skill levels and in all price ranges. The Caldari race have ships that specialise in ECM jammers, the Gallente specialise in remote sensor dampeners and the Amarr make good use of tracking disruptors and energy neutralisers.Read on as I examine the skills and equipment you'll need to be one of the most effective electronic warfare specialists in EVE.
EVE Evolved: Electronic warfare, part 1
Whether you're taking part in faction warfare, pirating, fighting a dirty corporate war or defending your homeland in 0.0, chances are you'll be engaging in a lot of fleet warfare. Although a lot of newer fleet commanders prefer all fleet members to be in ships that deal a lot of damage, the optimum setup makes better use of a variety of ship types. A strong fleet in EVE Online is typically composed of three main groups. First you have the tacklers who intercept and warp-scramble enemies, then the damage dealers who kill the enemy and finally you have the electronic warfare crew.What is electronic warfare?:Electronic warfare involves the use of modules that debilitate the enemy indirectly rather than attacking them head-on. This includes using target jammers to cause the enemy to lose his active target locks, sensor dampeners to decrease his lock range and energy neutralisers to deplete his capacitor. A good electronic warfare ship has the potential to remove several enemy ships from the battle, cutting the effectiveness of the enemy fleet down significantly. For this reason, a good electronic warfare wing in your fleet can be seen as a force multiplier, allowing your fleet to engage much larger forces and succeed.In the first part of this guide, I cover the basics of electronic warfare in EVE and show just how important this often underused portion of a fleet is.
