Ukraine tests advanced drones to overcome a jamming challenge
In Ukraine, drones with a jammer detection system are being tested, which could significantly influence the course of the war. Here's what they are and how they work.
Both sides are testing state-of-the-art FPV drones equipped with radio-electronic emission detectors in Ukraine. Jammers currently make it very difficult, if not impossible, to use regular drones.
Electronic warfare systems create a bubble with a radius of several dozen or several hundred metres, depending on the power, within which the GPS or control signal used for communication between the drone and the pilot does not work.
Current ways drone operators deal with jammers
The widespread use of jammers capable of covering various frequency ranges has made the most effective drones those that autonomously attack a target designated by the pilot, based on, for example, the use of artificial intelligence algorithms or drones controlled via fibre optics.
Both solutions have their drawbacks, as AI-based drones are more expensive and the accuracy of attacks can vary, while fibre optic solutions have limited range and a smaller payload than usual.
Anti-jammer drones — an interesting solution to a persistent problem
According to the portal Militarnyj, drones have been developed that can detect emission sources in 12 different frequency bands, allowing for precise targeting of objects for other drones or artillery. The drones can precisely determine the direction and distance to the source of a specific frequency. The following recording shows tests of a Russian anti-jammer drone.
This utilizes the same idea as used in anti-radiation missiles like AGM-88 HARM or HOJ modules for GBU-39 SDB bombs. Each jammer must emit radio waves at a specific frequency, which allows for identifying its position, similar to how radars are detected.
This means that jammers, from being a key anti-drone tool, can become very vulnerable targets themselves, requiring protection. Most likely over time, there will be a shift to placing transmission antennas several dozen or several hundred metres away from the rest of the equipment using cables, but this is not an ideal solution.
This will make it possible once again for cheap FPV drones controlled via radio communication to be used more broadly, as was the case at the turn of 2022-2023.
