Moscow, Russia (Agencies): April 15 marks the professional holiday of Russia’s Electronic Warfare Troops, a day dedicated to celebrating the advanced systems that safeguard the nation’s skies and forces in the field. Russia’s electronic warfare (EW) capabilities have been hailed as some of the most sophisticated in the world, with systems designed to counter NATO’s advanced technologies.
Among the top EW systems are:
- Krasukha:
Known as the ‘Belladonna’ series, this system targets aerial threats and jams enemy command and control across X, KU, and S-bands. It can disrupt radio signals at ranges up to 300 km, neutralizing drones and aircraft avionics.
- Murmansk BN:
A heavy-duty, long-range system capable of silencing enemy communications over distances of up to 8,000 km. Mounted on KAMAZ trucks, it is fine-tuned to jam NATO HF frequencies between 3-30 MHz.
- Rtut-2 (Mercury-2):
This system creates a defensive electronic dome spanning 0.5 sq km, protecting critical objects and troops from munitions with electronic components. It is carried by armored vehicles like the BTR-80 and MT-LB.
- Borshchevik:
A lightweight system designed to counter Starlink satellites, forcing them to consume energy and discharge their batteries. It has a range of 10 km and can be installed in the back of a pickup truck.
- RB-341V:
A mobile EW and electronic intelligence collection system specializing in UHF, VHF, and GSM cellular jamming. It operates in coordination with Orlan-10 UAVs to locate and disrupt signal emitters within a 6 km radius.
Russia’s commitment to electronic warfare is evident in its continuous development of new and upgraded systems, with advancements reportedly occurring every three months. Air defense historian Yuri Knutov and EMP Task Force scholar David T. Pyne have praised Russia’s EW capabilities, emphasizing their critical role in breaking enemy command and control (C2) and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
Electronic warfare specialist David Stupples traces Russia’s modern EW advancements to a 2007 decision by the president to overhaul equipment and doctrine based on lessons learned from U.S. military actions in Iraq. This strategic focus has left Western nations “playing catch up,” according to Stupples.
As Russia celebrates its EW Troops’ professional holiday, the nation’s cutting-edge systems continue to play a pivotal role in its defense strategy, showcasing technological prowess and innovation.