The holey shield of Russia

RDK claims to receive data on the latest Russian electronic systems. We tell you what technologies we are talking about and how they change the war

The war in Ukraine showed that the radio electronic struggle is one most important means necessary not just for conducting hostilities, but also for the survival of fighters at the front line. However, the electronic warfare can not only fight drones and violate the enemy’s connection. In Russia, devices have already been created that, according to experts, are capable of “blinding” the satellite or to prevent the work of electronic enemy aircraft systems.

The top of the structure

The Russian Volunteer Corps (a unit consisting of Russians fighting on the side of Ukraine) recently conducted an operation to collect intelligence information about the latest Russian electronic warfare systems. According to the RDK fighters, dozens of gigabytes of documents were at the disposal of the corps: technical specifications, schemes, service correspondence, methods of tuning equipment, drawings, test protocols and the internal logic of the functioning of the radio electronic struggle stations of the Russian Federation. RDK scouts were primarily interested in the architecture of the upper echelon complexes: strategic and tactical systems. It was important to find out how they are arranged, which enterprises produce them, how these devices are operated, where their control units are located.

- Operational complexes are jerking drones at the front. Their design is well known, ”explains the commander of the headquarters of the RDK Alexander Fortuna. - But strategic and tactical systems are a different level.

They work on satellites, affect navigation, can change the coordinates of drones, and disable aviation systems. This is the top of the structure. And it was they who interested us.

According to Alexander, today there is a rapid development of both unmanned platforms - air, sea, ground, and means of suppressing them. This is a technogenic duel.

- Shield against the sword. But Russia has a shield is not just fragile - it is a holey, ”adds Fortune.

Weaknesses and vulnerability

Among the studied systems is the Tirade-2C complex, which has been developed for more than two decades. Outwardly looks like a tractor with an antenna mast. In fact, this is a narrowly focused system for decay of satellite communication. It works in ranges from 225 MHz to 15 GHz through directed antennas, with focusing according to specific objects. The complex is not massive. It requires the most accurate guidance. It is used for a temporary violation of communication with enemy military companions (WGS, MUOS, Skynet).

- Such a complex dramatizes the connection, and also forms false signals. For example, the drone flying over the Bryansk region can “think” that he is over Ethiopia. There is a disorientation, a substitution of coordinates, ”explains Fortune.

Another important object is the NMS REP DDV module. According to RDK specialists, this is one of the key centers of the Russian signal suppression system. He controls the noise, synchronizes the modules, coordinates their work.

“This is a radio industry, everything depends on it: it determines the radiation modes, types of interference, phasing,” they say in the RDK.

But the system is extremely sensitive to the weather, vibrations, requires complex tuning and stable nutrition. It has weak resistance to combat conditions.

The Antchar complex is a ship system designed to work in Arctic latitudes. Officially, it should affect satellites, aviation radars and navigation of ships. In practice, according to data from the documentation, the system does not withstand the Arctic conditions: it is not resistant to cold, wind, icing. Under the maneuver of the ship, “Anchar” loses its tracking. Time for guidance is more than four minutes. In the case of a failure, the entire system is disconnected.

A separate problem - radiation greatly unmasks the complex. RDK has all the drawings, the logic and location of the blocks. Declassified documentation for “Anchar” actually makes him useless.

According to Alexander Fortune, the Russian strategic complexes of the RB suffer the same problem as the Armata tank: there is a concept, but there is no ecosystem of operation.

- We received not only the appearance. We see internal logic, architecture, connection between nodes, ”explains Alexander Fortune. - We know who designed which enterprises supplied units, which research institutes are responsible for the development. This is a huge overloaded structure that is not ready for a real war.

Ukraine, according to Alexander, develops both its own unmanned systems and the direction of the RB. Knowing the principles of Russian developments, you can build effective protection and use countermeasures.

“The enemy disguise scheme turned out to be interesting,” says Alexander Fortune. - Russia uses civil Chinese satellites to cover the calibration of its systems. That is, Russian RAB complexes pretend to be the terminals of the Civil Fleet of the PRC in the Pacific Ocean. Officially, China is not notified of this. If the signal is recorded, Russia is betting on the fact that the responsibility will fall on the Chinese channel. This is a risky game. Sooner or later, China will understand this. And we already know which satellites they “hang” on, under which channels they mimic. This is an extremely interesting and unexpected observation.

Agency work

Fortune says that the whole operation began not entirely in the planned format.

“They developed a completely different topic,” recalls the commander of the headquarters of the RDK. - As a result, the result even surpassed our expectations. In this particular operation, the agents worked very well, and largely thanks to the information transferred by the sources of information, we were able to strengthen our cyber divisions. As a result, we received a number of important military developments along with protocols, engineering decisions and statements from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. In addition, it was possible to install the entire chain of enterprises involved in production and supply. Well, it is important that all persons involved in the development and the creation of these stations were established. Upon completion of the operation, the RDK has their names, addresses, cars, place of work. All data is transferred to Ukrainian special services. If you have created a system that kills people, you are a permissible military target. Someone signed the papers. Someone designed. These are levels of responsibility. And they must be recorded.

On the basis of anonymity, the Russian military expert commented on the New-European operation: RDK:

“The information received by the RDK, apparently, has considerable value,” the Russian military expert told Novy-Europe. - The troops of the electronic struggle intensively developed back in the USSR. The Soviet Union invested significant resources in them. Russia also continues to develop REB complexes. After all, the number of satellites in the Russian Federation fatally lower than that of the same United States. REB is the only thing that Russia is trying to compensate for the lack of such satellites. Strategic complexes were to become insurance. It is believed that the Strategic STI systems can at the right time affect satellite communication with flying missiles and NATO bombers, knocking them down from the course. Although projects listed in the RDK investigation have not yet been brought to successful completion and have many weaknesses, in general these are breakthrough technologies, which are now very important in the field of defense and safety. They cost a lot of money. It is clear that, having received this documentation from the RDK, Ukraine will transfer it to Western partners. And there they will begin to develop systems that can withstand Russian complexes and improve their RB systems based on Russian developments.