ECM - orbital layer

The ECM rules state:
"Ships have to be on the same orbital layer."
A friend argued that this includes ALL ships...since the (frustratingly sloppy) wording doesn't specify which ships.
So he changes layer with his New Cairos... plays the card "orbital targeting matrix" and completely mitigates 2 Calypsos.

Is this correct?

As far as I know only the Calypso and the targeted ship needs to be on the same layer, the shooting group can be wherever.
It is similar to Aegis rule where ships benefiting from Aegis also have to be on the same layer.

I assume it is meant to be played the same as Aegis and Shield Booster which all actually have the same wording. I have never heard anyone try to claim that the enemy ship needs to be on the same layer but the actual wording is kinda of ambiguous for all 3 abilities. It uses ships plural without defining that to mean only the friendly ship(s) being targeted. Again I assume that it is only friendly ships and that it might be a cut and paste issue with Aegis being the first rule to have that in the book and it can effect multiple friendly ships thus the plural.

If someone wants to force the issue bring up the fact that Aegis and Shield Booster are worded the same way and see how long they like the idea of those abilities not working if you change layer.

After errata and rules update, ECM text says:

Once per turn, after an enemy group has allocated Attack Dice, you may pick a friendly ship within 4” of the
Calypso. Add 1 to the lock value of the groups Attack Dice allocated to this ship. Subsequent
attacks by other groups are not affected. In order to be affected, ships must be on the same layer as Calypso.

I would argue that because you pick friendly ship in 4", that ship is the affected ship and therefore only that ship is required to be on the same layer.

After errata and rules update, ECM text says:

Once per turn, after an enemy group has allocated Attack Dice, you may pick a friendly ship within 4” of the
Calypso. Add 1 to the lock value of the groups Attack Dice allocated to this ship. Subsequent
attacks by other groups are not affected. In order to be affected, ships must be on the same layer as Calypso.

I would argue that because you pick friendly ship in 4", that ship is the affected ship and therefore only that ship is required to be on the same layer.

That is certainly how I read it, and as I believe it is intended to work.

"You may pick a friendly ship withint 4""
and
"In order to be affected ships must be on the same layer"
says it all imho.

You pick a friendly ship and this needs to be on the same orbital layer to be affected.
Reading anything else into it is close to bad intention imho... every support frigate functions that way.

Wow, you guys are fast with answers \o/
Thanks for the feedback, good to know that my interpretation was right...