Activision describes them as "powerful devices that recharge during the match after use." That single line is the whole category. Tacticals and Lethals are limited per life and never come back, so a Field Upgrade is the only Equipment slot where the recharge rate changes how often you can use your pick.
Only two of the twelve come back fast
Recharge Speed is published as Fast, Medium or Slow. Two devices are Fast: DDOS, which unlocks at level 4, and Trophy System at level 14. Seven are Medium and three are Slow. If your plan depends on using the same Field Upgrade every round, the list of choices is those two, and only one of them answers anything that is not an aircraft.
The three slow ones
SAM Airburst Turret, Seeker Drone and Recon Drone all recharge slowly, which in practice means once a round. That is still worth it in the modes where they matter, because a single good deployment can decide an objective. It is just not something you can lean on the way the Firing Range leans on a loadout.
One detector per tier
Portable Radar unlocks at level 4, Seeker Drone at 19 and Recon Drone at 33, and they sit in the same job. Portable Radar pings on a timer, Seeker Drone hunts for a target on its own, and Recon Drone can also be pointed by hand. The ladder is deliberate: the thing you get early reads the room, the thing you get late can be aimed.
Resupply changes the arithmetic
The Resupply perk states that "Equipment recharges over time and maximum capacity is increased by 1. Field Upgrade earn rate increased." It is the only Perk that touches the Field Upgrade slot, and it makes a slower recharge far less painful. If you plan to run one device every round, Resupply and a Fast or Medium device are the pair to plan around.
Tactical Insertion is the one that changes a round
Mark a location to act as your next spawn point. It is the only Field Upgrade that alters where you re-enter the match, and it is also the last one to unlock at player level 45. On objective modes it is worth planning around rather than picking up incidentally.
| RECHARGE | COUNT | DEVICES |
|---|---|---|
| Fast | 2 | DDOS, Trophy System |
| Medium | 7 | Portable Radar, Munitions Box, Riot Shield, Inflatable Decoy, Smoke Wall, Razor Wire Trap, Tactical Insertion |
| Slow | 3 | SAM Airburst Turret, Seeker Drone, Recon Drone |
DDOS
FastEmits a localized pulse that temporarily jams and disables nearby enemy electronics and sensors.
The only Fast Field Upgrade that unlocks at level 4, so it is the one device a new account can rely on every round.
Trophy System
FastDeployable defense system that destroys up to three airborne projectiles. Larger targets will take multiple shots to counter.
The other Fast recharge, and it only answers air. It does nothing against infantry.
Portable Radar
MediumEmits a periodic radar ping to detect nearby enemies.
The cheapest detector in the list. It pings on a timer rather than on demand, so it is a background read rather than a reaction tool.
Munitions Box
MediumDeploy a box of ammo and equipment for you and your teammates.
The only Field Upgrade that restocks the team rather than the enemy, which makes it the pick when the lobby is not landing shots.
Riot Shield
MediumDestructible shield that can be planted to provide cover for your team.
Cover is the one thing a Field Upgrade can give that perks and equipment cannot, and this one is destructible, so it will not hold forever.
Inflatable Decoy
MediumProximity activated decoy dummy. Upon activation, the reinforced fiber target is violently deployed to confuse and distract. Also supports manual activation.
It works on a proximity trigger or on a manual press, which means you can bait it at the right moment instead of waiting for an enemy to walk into it.
Smoke Wall
MediumHand-held rocket that emits a long trail of heavy smoke coverage.
A long trail rather than a single cloud, so it can break a sightline across an open lane instead of just hiding one target.
Razor Wire Trap
MediumProximity activated mine that ensnares enemies in a mesh of barbed wire.
Slows rather than damages, which is why it pairs with anything that needs a target to stay in one place.
Tactical Insertion
MediumMark a location to act as your next spawn point.
The only Field Upgrade that changes where you come back. It costs 45 levels, so most players will not have it, and on objective modes it is worth waiting for.
SAM Airburst Turret
SlowPortable missile turret that incinerates aerial threats.
Unlocks early but recharges slowly, so it is a once-a-round answer to air rather than a permanent one.
Seeker Drone
SlowDeployable drone that seeks out nearby enemies to snapshot them.
The first drone, and the one that hunts for the target itself. The later Recon Drone can mark manually as well as automatically.
Recon Drone
SlowRemote-controlled drone that has manual and auto marking capabilities.
The most capable detector in the list because you can point it yourself, and the slowest to come back.
WHAT CAN YOU USE AT YOUR LEVEL ↗ ALL 49 EQUIPMENT ITEMS ↗ ALL 18 PERKS ↗
Where this comes from
Reviewed October 23, 2026. Quoted text is from Activision’s own published material. Advice that is this site’s own judgement is labelled as such.