Alexei Ramm
Izvestia, August 30, 2016, p. 3
The Defense Ministry is testing the newest electronic warfare system that can neutralize work of low-orbit satellite communication systems like Iridium, GlobalStar and OneWeb on a significant territory.
DEFENSE MINISTRY TESTS ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURES SYSTEM THAT CAN JAM SIGNALS OF LOW-ORBIT COMMUNICATION SATELLITES
The Defense Ministry is testing the newest electronic warfare system that can neutralize work of low-orbit satellite communication systems like Iridium, GlobalStar and OneWeb on a significant territory. Developer of the “Electronic warfare system for counteraction to satellite systems in low circular orbits (KRBSS)” is Moscow research radio technical institute (MNIRTI, a part of Untied Instrument-Building Corporation) with participation of specialist of Moscow-based design center of microelectronics NIIIMA Progress.
According to specialists of the Defense Ministry, the priority location for the newest jamming system is the Arctic where it is impossible to use geo-synchronized communication systems (geo-synchronized satellites “hang” above the equator and their signal does not reach the polar regions).
Representative of the Defense Ministry familiar with the situation reported:
– A part of elements of the newest system including the mobile jamming stations is already undergoing tests in the course of which good results have bee achieved. The stations not only complied with all technical requirements embodied into the project but also sometimes demonstrated a better result.
The source could not name the precise time when the novelty would be put on combat duty explaining only that its elements would be put into operation gradually.
Representatives of UEC declined to comment.
The main elements of KRBSS are highly mobile jamming stations mounted on two trucks: they can track and jam signals of a few tens of satellites simultaneously. Afterwards, the fleet of the station will be refilled with the models that are mounted on ships, helicopters and drones.
Engineers and designers from MNIRTI managed to achieve the necessary characteristics through use of active phased arrays that contained a big quantity of trasceiving elements.
Military expert Alexei Leonkov, former employee of the 30th central research institute of the Air Force, reported:
– Majority of satellite communications systems are based on big satellites with very powerful signal that are in geo-synchronized and high elliptic orbits. In low-orbit systems the principle of work is different and reminds cellular communication. In the reception point it is possible to receive a signal from several observed satellites. That is why it is necessary to jam not one powerful signal but several weaker ones. The main problem is that it is necessary to suppress all channels simultaneously, otherwise the system will be able to find a loophole.
