The purpose of these homemade devices was to jam the signals from kamikaze drones, but the radio transmissions protecting the tanks could also reveal the tank's location.

Russia's Lancet kamikaze drones, designed to locate targets and then crash, have become a serious problem for the Ukrainian military.

Drones buzz over the battlefield, flown by pilots on the ground and guided by radio signals.

Jammers mounted on tanks or other vehicles can interfere with the signal and cause the drone to miss its target.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has intensified the drone arms race, with both sides using increasingly sophisticated drones for a variety of missions. The latest salvo is a repeating jammer that forms an invisible protective dome over the tank and jams the signals of any kamikaze drones trying to attack it.

Kamikaze Drone

The Lancet was made by Kalashnikov...yes, that Kalashnikov

One of the most dangerous types of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield is the kamikaze drone, which is designed for one-way flight and is launched over the battlefield. The pilot sits on the ground at the control station and must rely on the drone's camera to locate the target. When he does so, he flies a drone to attack the target and detonates explosives and sometimes anti-tank charges.

Russian "Lancet" drones pose a serious threat to Ukrainian troops searching for tank and artillery targets in the open air. The new signal jammers, first reported by Ukrainian defense blog Militarnyi, is a radio device operating in the 900 MHz band and transmitting 50 watts of power. When a kamikaze drone falls from the sky in a suicide attempt, the jammer interrupts the signal, causing the drone operator to lose control and miss.

The explosives carried by the Lancet drone can penetrate 200 millimeters of armor; this is enough to penetrate the thin upper armor of many tanks and even the turret. Most Ukrainian tanks have reactive armor tiles on their roofs designed to weaken the plasma jet of shaped charges, but Ukrainian artillery has no such protection. As a result, there are multiple videos on social media showing the Lancet targeting Ukrainian field artillery.

Jammer in Box

Without jammers, Ukrainian tanks can only hide under camouflage nets. Tree cover also prevents kamikaze drone operators from noticing tanks and other equipment

The cell phone jammer is mounted on top of the tank's turret, behind the commander's hatch at the highest point of the tank. The electronic equipment is encased in a waterproof casing and then enclosed in a sealed metal box to protect it from enemy fire. The antenna sticks out of the box and sends an interfering signal.

It's unclear whether the gps jammer runs on batteries or is connected to the tank itself, but the 50-watt power consumption and the fact that the box is just centimeters from the open tank hatch suggests that cables from the tank's electrical system are exiting. Although this requires the hatch to be open while the jammer is firing, the crew will mostly use it when the tank is stationary. Ukrainian tanks keep their hatches closed under their armor during combat, and moving tanks are generally harder to hit.

The 900 MHz band the jammer emits is a common band used by long-range civilian drones. It is also the same wavelength that the Lancet drone operates on. It is understood that the Russian military also uses civilian drones as reconnaissance systems and purchases them in large quantities on the global market.

Wireless jammers have some disadvantages. The 900 MHz band is also commonly used for voice communications, so all vehicle transmissions must use a different band or else be cut off by other devices. This can result in a loss of combat coordination between jammer-equipped vehicles. The signal can also interfere with friendly drones and reduce troops' situational awareness.

Another problem is that the drone jammer itself emits a 50-watt radio signal announcing the presence of the tank to anyone capable of listening. If an enemy force could detect and locate jammers, it could actually count the number of tanks and other combat vehicles deploying jammers and learn their locations.

Despite these disadvantages, using a disruptor is better than blasting from above with shaped charges. But the advent of radio-controlled drones means military commanders now have to know when to mask and reveal their electromagnetic signatures. Has the enemy turned on their own jammers? If so, they may not be using drones, but they may be moving and preparing to attack.