ECO

An ECO, or Electronic Countermeasures Officer ^[1], is responsible for the electronic countermeasures on a Raptor ^{(TRS: "Miniseries" and "33")}.

The first ECO seen was Karl "Helo" Agathon, working with Sharon "Boomer" Valerii during an ill-fated Viper Mark VII squadron attack against two Cylon Raiders during the Cylon attack on the Twelve Colonies ^{(TRS: "Miniseries, Night 1")}.

ECOs also operate computer equipment, including scanning and detection equipment ^{(TRS: "Water" and "The Hand of God")}.

ECOs are also trained to fly a Raptor in case the primary pilot is incapacitated or unavailable. Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo pilots his Raptor when his pilot Karma is killed ^{(TRS: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I")}. Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson has served as both pilot and ECO on several occasions ^{(TRS: "Fragged" and "Final Cut")}.

As Galactica initially faces chronic pilot and ship shortages, ECOs such as Agathon and Edmondson often pull "double-duty" as either pilot or ECO as assigned by the CAG. After the New Caprica exodus, this was less of an issue ^{(TRS: "Torn")}, but after the events of Gaeta's Mutiny, personnel shortages left the pilots of Raptors searching for habitable planets flying without ECOs ^{(TRS: "Someone to Watch Over Me")}.

Known ECOs

References

↑ The term is similar to the role of ECMO in US Naval and Marine Corps aviation. In a blog entry Ron Moore stated that he originally envisioned the Raptor as an electronic warfare platform, similar to the modern EA-6 Prowler.

[1] The term is similar to the role of ECMO in US Naval and Marine Corps aviation. In a blog entry Ron Moore stated that he originally envisioned the Raptor as an electronic warfare platform, similar to the modern EA-6 Prowler.

[1]