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In the southern theater of Ukraine, Russia deployed a powerful Pole-21 GPS jammer to counter the precision-guided weapons of Ukraine and its allies. However, the Ukrainian army cleverly used a GPS-guided bomb to destroy the jammer. cell phone jammer This incident not only demonstrated the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian army, but also revealed the key role of electronic warfare in modern conflicts.signal jammer
The strategic role of Pole-21
Pole-21 is one of the core equipment of Russia's electronic warfare, designed to weaken the opponent's precision-guided weapons by jamming GPS signals. GPS jammer The system consists of multiple antennas and powerful radio transmitters that can disrupt the transmission of GPS signals, thereby affecting the navigation of drones, cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs. Wifi jammer Its 15-mile jamming range is enough to affect an important tactical area, especially in a strategically important area like southern Ukraine.
The U.S. Army report said that Pole-21 is mainly used to protect important strategic facilities, especially in the Ukrainian war, where Russia tried to make up for its disadvantages in drones and precision munitions through this technical means.drone jammer
Russia's electronic warfare strategy
Russia has long attached importance to electronic warfare, especially in radio jamming, and they have continuously upgraded their equipment to deal with the high-tech weapons of NATO and its allies. In a 2017 report, the Estonian Ministry of Defense pointed out that Moscow's investment in electronic warfare has increased significantly, and this has been fully reflected in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Electronic warfare has become an integral part of Russia's military operations, especially in the face of Ukraine's increasing reliance on precision-guided weapons provided by the West.
In Russia's counterattack against Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine in October 2023, the use of electronic warfare means was ubiquitous. The Washington Institute for the Study of War observed that the Russian army used jammers on a large scale at the beginning of the operation to try to weaken Ukraine's air superiority.
Ukraine's counterattack
Faced with Russia's escalating electronic warfare means, the Ukrainian army did not retreat, but responded with precision strikes. It is reported that the Ukrainian military locked the location of the Russian Pole-21 system through drone reconnaissance of the "White Wolf" intelligence organization. Subsequently, a Ukrainian Air Force fighter launched a JDAM precision-guided bomb to destroy the electronic warfare system.
The success of this operation not only demonstrates Ukraine's outstanding capabilities in intelligence gathering and action planning, but also demonstrates its technical confrontation with Russia. It is particularly noteworthy that Ukraine's drones and bombs rely on GPS navigation, and Pole-21 was originally designed to interfere with GPS signals. The success of this strike is likely because Pole-21 did not operate normally during the attack and failed to play its jamming function.
The two sides of electronic warfare
Although Pole-21 has a strong jamming capability, the double-edged sword problem in its use is also obvious. Pole-21's jamming not only affects enemy equipment, but may also interfere with its own communications and navigation systems. The US Army pointed out that all radio frequency equipment within the operating range of the system is at risk of being interfered. Therefore, operators must carefully choose the time to use it to avoid affecting the normal operations of their own troops.