Russia finds a devastatingly simple way to make killer drones evade Ukrainian EW — doubles antennas to 32 and orders 100,000 units
Russia is expanding production of advanced Kometa navigation modules, equipping drones with larger antennas as Ukraine explores alternative electronic warfare countermeasures.
Russia has increased the number of antennas on its attack drones, aiming to counter Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) capabilities. The 32-element antenna configuration has been identified on Shahed drones during attacks against Kyiv, making the drones more resistant to jamming. This new design involves combining two sets of 16-element arrays, enabling the drones to operate on different satellite navigation frequencies.
Russia has ordered over 100,000 antenna modules, reflecting plans to equip various weapon platforms with improved navigation protection. Ukrainian specialists claim to have devised methods to counter these upgraded navigation systems, including jamming using two separate frequency bands and satellite spoofing techniques. However, the effectiveness of these countermeasures against increasingly sophisticated navigation antennas remains uncertain, as Russia continues enhancing its equipment.
If Ukrainian EW systems fail to disrupt incoming drones reliably, alternative defense strategies may be necessary, such as deploying interceptor aircraft, specialized drones, and costly missile systems.
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