Ukraine will defend itself against kamikaze drones with the help of the electronic warfare system “Pokrova”
A new electronic warfare system disrupts navigation systems to prevent attacks by Shahed-type kamikaze drones. The system, called Pokrova, was first introduced in November 2013. Many media outlets, including Forbes, have written about this.
The principle of the system is not new. It sends out interference signals that confuse navigation systems such as GPS, as well as Russia’s GLONASS. Instead of completely blocking the signal, it generates false location data, and the target remains undetected by the drone.
This kind of “signal spoofing” is more difficult to circumvent than “jamming” because it only leads to a small change in location data. A similar system is reportedly used in Russia to protect the Kremlin from attacks.
Russia is using Iranian Shahed-136 drones, which are particularly well protected from signal jammers, Forbes writes. They are equipped with the Kometa navigation system. Thanks to it, drones can find their destination even if the interference signal is 10,000 times stronger than the satellite signal.
Due to the so-called spoofing (in cybersecurity, signal spoofing, in simple terms), drones gradually move further and further away from the target. But for an attack to be effective, you need to hit very accurately.
For reference, the Shahed-136 has some clearly recognizable elements on its wings. In Russia, the drone was dubbed Geranium-2. This designation indicates that there are other drones and other weapons. Russian troops have been trained in the use of such weapons. According to the report, such kamikaze drones from Iran were previously used mainly to attack critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
So, Pokrova is supposed to protect Ukraine from massive drone attacks. According to a letter from the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny, the system will operate in the entire border area, as well as in a large area controlled by Ukrainian troops.
