A constant competition: Ukraine has learnt to fight effectively against Russian CABs

The Ukrainian defence forces already have an effective tool to counter long-range Russian guided bombs, in particular those dropped with the UMPK (planning and correction module)

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This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, in an interview with Left Bank, confirming the key role of electronic warfare (EW) equipment in neutralising this threat.

According to him, Ukrainian electronic warfare systems affect the navigation of UAVs, forcing them to change their trajectory and miss their targets.

"We have a sufficient number of electronic warfare systems that affect the control system of enemy UAVs. It was flying in one direction, and then for some reason it flew in another. The control system and the fight against electronic warfare is a constant competition, as is the competition between drones and electronic warfare," he explained.

The issue is the suppression or distortion of satellite navigation signals, which are critical for accurate targeting of the CABs, especially over long distances.

The UMPC operates on the basis of GPS/GLONASS navigation, so jamming or spoofing the signal dramatically reduces the effectiveness of Russian weapons. At the same time, the electronic warfare system itself does not destroy the bomb, but renders it unable to hit the target. In the case of an attack on point targets, this often means a complete loss of ammunition.

The Russian side is trying to maintain the effectiveness of its weapons by gradually upgrading the antennas of the Kometa-M navigation unit - first from 4 to 12 elements. But these efforts, as Syrsky points out, have not yielded tangible results.

The key factor is that the spacecraft flies for a long time from a high altitude, which allows Ukrainian electronic warfare systems to influence it for most of the flight. The longer the interference lasts, the greater the deviation of the munition from the target. However, the general emphasises that in the case of massive attacks on cities, even a deflected bomb still poses a threat - it is difficult to fully protect surface targets with electronic warfare systems alone.

Source: "Left Bank"