(Dan Tri) – Experts say that the smart weapons the US sent to Ukraine are effective but not as effective as expected because of Russia’s jamming ability.
US HIMARS system (Photo: Getty).
Russia’s electronic warfare has been causing many problems for the precision weapons the US sent to Ukraine.
Ukraine has used US precision weapons, such as HIMARS rockets and JDAM smart bombs, throughout the war over the past two years, but Russian jamming measures have regularly reduced the effectiveness of these weapons.
Lieutenant General Antonio Aguto, who holds the position of commander of the Ukraine Security Support Group, once admitted that the US faces challenges with Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities and Washington is trying to find a solution.
Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, explained that Russia’s interference with America’s GPS navigation system to deflect, neutralize
Electronic warfare can be carried out using low-cost but highly effective technology and both combatants are using them extensively, not only to suppress precision fire but also as UAVs.
Electronic warfare is a broad concept, including many techniques, such as jamming and tampering with target information.
Spoofing target information is a more complex technique as it sends a series of fake locations to the weapon’s positioning system, causing it to attack off target.
Russia has for many years been considered a powerhouse in electronic warfare.
Daniel Patt, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, revealed that the Excalibur 155mm guided artillery shell `had a 70% effectiveness rate when hitting the target when first used in Ukraine` but `after six weeks,
Mr. Patt added that `new weapons usually only reach peak effectiveness about two weeks before countermeasures appear.`
Mr. Cancian said the US is increasing research to handle threats by using narrower signal bands or creating stronger signals that can bypass jamming systems.
However, Russia does not stand still in this race as it continuously improves its electronic warfare capabilities.
At a media event earlier this month, Doug Bush, head of procurement for the US Army, said it was not surprising that Russia could jam US weapons.
He said this is part of a continuous cycle on both sides, causing the two countries to continuously find solutions to bypass and intercept each other’s weapons.
