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What’s new: Russia is using Chinese anti-jam antennas on their Iranian-made drones to attack Ukraine. These antennas counter much of the Ukrainian jamming they use to protect themselves.
Why it’s important: Drone warfare has become an major part of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Anything that makes drones more effective is important.
What else to know:
- The author of the below story misunderstood that this is not a new navigation system, just use of an improved, not “new,” type of antenna.
- A CRPA antenna, or Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna, has multiple antenna elements and advance signal processing that counters GPS/GNSS jamming in many scenarios and enables a receiver to continue functioning.
- The U.S. restricts export of such devices under the International Trade in Arms Regulations or ITAR.
- Since this ITAR restriction was put in place, many nations have developed and now manufacture and sell CRPA antennas around the world. The U.S. ITAR rules are far out of date and serve only to harm American businesses.
- The PNT Advisory Board has repeatedly recommended doing away with this restriction. To date government processes and a lack of leadership and focus on PNT issues within the executive branch have forestalled action.
Russia Used Shaheds With Advanced Chinese Navigation in New Year’s Attack on Kyiv
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Russian forces employed a new type of satellite navigation, called Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CPRA) produced in China during the latest drone attacks on Kyiv, according to Serhii Beskrestnov, call sign ‘Flash’, a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a military expert in communications and electronic warfare (EW) on January 1.
“Last night, the enemy deployed Shaheds equipped with a different type of CRPA satellite navigation antennas. We’ve encountered this type before, but this time, it seems to have been used on all drones. This component is crucial as it enables the drone to strike its target despite Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) measures,” Beskrestnov stated on Facebook.
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