Russians are attaching DIY drone-jammers onto their vehicles
Posted by jammer
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04 Dec 2023 03:26:42 am.
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Ukrainian drones have instilled a sense of fear among Russian marines, and rightfully so. Russian troops are employing various tactics to bring down, neutralize and deflect these dangerous drones.
While improvisation can yield positive results, it is not a foolproof method. It has become increasingly evident that Russian military personnel are equipping their tanks and combat vehicles with small RP-377 radio-jammers, which are designed to impede the signals that trigger radio-controlled roadside bombs, with the aim of obstructing the signals that govern high-speed first-person-view drones.
It is becoming more and more evident that RP-377 is not effective against FPV drones. Social media is filled with darkly-ironic videos that depict Ukrainian drones destroying Russian vehicles that have do-it-yourself drone-jammers installed.
Thematically, the videos exhibit similarities to those illustrating Ukrainian forces obliterating Russian GPS-jammers by means of GPS-guided bombs, as you might have surmised.
A Russian naval infantry brigade, either the 155th or 40th Brigade, faces a challenge with drones, as evidenced by an ungraceful T-80BVM tank. The tank has been outfitted with do-it-yourself cage armor that could hinder the turret's rotation, but it may also provide some safeguard against explosive drones.
Adding to the tank's peculiarity is the RP-377 radio-jammer, which is securely mounted on its rearmost cage armor. Crafted by the Kremlin, this portable jammer was designed to interfere with enemy communications and provide protection to infantry and vehicles against improvised explosive devices.
The utilization of IEDs presents a major obstacle in Russia's irregular warfare endeavors, particularly in conflict zones like Syria. Conversely, in Ukraine, where the majority of the fighting involves regular forces, the prominence of IEDs is considerably lower.
On the Ukraine front line, more and more Russian vehicles are being equipped with RP-377s attached to their hulls. The purpose of these jammers is unlikely to be the prevention of IEDs. It appears that the Russians are banking on the RP-377s to take down drones.
Radio-jamming poses an equal threat to both remote IEDs and drones in principle. The Russian troops deployed in the Eastern Military District conducted tests in 2020 and reported that their RP-377s played a crucial role in suppressing unmanned aerial vehicles.
It is worth noting that a significant number of drones are equipped with frequency-hopping controls or autopilots, which effectively neutralize the adverse effects of radio-jamming. As a result, there have been numerous instances where drone strikes have successfully targeted vehicles that were equipped with add-on RP-377s.
An ironic incident occurred a few weeks ago when a Ukrainian FPV drone collided with a Russian BMP fighting vehicle that had an RP-377 installed on it.
Tags: vehicles
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