They can save the Ukrainians, but there are some conditions: how do electronic warfare systems affect Russian missiles?

It is possible to counter Russian kamikaze drones and missiles using electronic warfare, but not in all cases. This was stated in the Defense Express material published on Wednesday, January 24.

The ability to influence enemy equipment with electronic warfare is due, for example, to the fact that Iran’s Shahed-136, a kamikaze aircraft, uses a simple navigation system based on satellite and inertial systems. Disabling satellite navigation can cause flight path deviations of up to 5% of the distance traveled without GPS. However, when the navigation signal is restored, errors in the inertial system will be compensated and the projectile aircraft will again be able to fly along the full route. Blocking satellite navigation is no easy task either.

A possible solution is not to block satellite navigation, but to change the coordinates using spoofing. In this case, the navigation system will consider the received coordinates to be “real” even though they are transmitted via electronic warfare. However, special software and hardware solutions are used to combat such attacks.

It is important to understand that to effectively counter navigation it is necessary to use “electronic battlefields” rather than protecting individual objects. Covering only the last kilometer, the navigation error will be approximately 50 metres; This may be enough to protect a single area, but not a city. Cruise missiles such as the X-101 use a range of navigation systems including satellite, inertial, radio altimeter, TERCOM and DSMAC. These systems are not perfect and can be affected by various factors such as light levels. So although disrupting satellite navigation reduces the effectiveness of missiles, it cannot completely eliminate the threat.

The media also note that not all missiles are connected to navigation systems, some missiles use target search using an active radar head. For example, the Kh-22, Kh-35, Onyx and P-35 have such a guidance system. If a missile’s radar station is interfered with, the missile will lose its ability to navigate and target. The air force has already reported the possibility of countering such missiles.

Electronic warfare (EW) systems developed in Ukraine and the USA will be effective against ship-launched missiles of enemy weapons. These systems are designed to blind the radar-guided heads of missiles that the enemy may use. However, these systems can only be effective against the southern regions of Ukraine, where enemy missile targets are located. At the same time, other Russian missiles such as Iskander and Kinzhal also use radar homing heads but have longer range. These heads are used to direct the missile to the target in the terminal area. Although electronic warfare systems can be effective against such missiles, they have limitations and require constant development due to the enemy constantly upgrading their missiles. Overall, these electronic warfare systems are an important component of countering the threat and strengthening air defenses, but they are not an absolute panacea against all forms of enemy presence.

Let us recall that on January 24, the media wrote that Ukrainian electronic warfare was able to “neutralize” 20 of 21 offensive weapons during a missile attack. The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that for the first time it was able to “neutralize” two dozen Russian missiles not with air defense systems, but with electronic warfare. Western analysts speak of a “turning point” in protecting Ukrainian skies.

And the day before, on January 23, Air Force Spokesman Yuri Ignat said that not all 20 missiles that could be stopped by Ukrainian air defense during the attack of the Russian Armed Forces reached their targets. According to the military man, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are using electronic warfare to disrupt navigation used to direct “high-precision” Russian missiles. Also some of them get dropped due to poor quality during launches.