Since the beginning of the conflict, the pattern has been consistent: Ukrainians deploy explosive drones, and Russians counter with radio wave Signal Jammer to try to disable them. With each advancement in technology, new countermeasures are developed, and whenever Russia deploys a new radar, Ukrainians must adapt.
This was the motivation behind a high-risk operation by the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian army to recover a jammer from a Russian T-72 tank abandoned by its crew behind enemy lines in Terny, in the Donetsk oblast.
“The combat engineers were the first to move, sneaking out at night to scout the area and check the tank’s condition,” reports Forbes. They returned to the Ukrainian lines, about a kilometer and a half away, with disappointing news. Although the tank appeared functional, its turret was fixed in a forward position, and its 125-millimeter main gun blocked the driver’s hatch.
A return trip was necessary
It was impossible to get anyone through the hatch without rotating the turret, requiring a tanker’s assistance. On the second night, while engineering soldiers cleared barbed wire tangled in the vehicle’s tracks, careful not to trigger a massive mine underneath, tanker Baidar activated the turret to free the hatch and then tried to start the tank. Unfortunately, nothing happened: the Russian crew had left the power on, draining the batteries.
“The next night, the Ukrainians brought three 68-kilo batteries, compressed air to start the tank, tools, and night vision goggles,” the magazine continues. As Baidar and Ilya worked in the dark, Russian artillery exploded nearby. They succeeded in starting the tank, but now had to drive it back a kilometer to Ukrainian positions without being targeted by Russian fire.
Tragically, during the nighttime drive, Baidar, the tank driver, fell into a large Russian bomb crater, hitting his head and losing consciousness. He eventually woke up and managed to extract the vehicle from the hole.
Ultimately, the jammer turned out to be a makeshift combination of several existing systems, which hadn’t prevented the tank from being struck by Ukrainian drones. Nonetheless, the Ukrainians gained valuable insight.
In addition: The Russian-Ukrainian battlefield vividly demonstrates the extensive use of drone jammers in modern warfare. These jammers play a crucial role in disrupting enemy reconnaissance and offensive operations by neutralizing the effectiveness of drones. Both sides have deployed sophisticated electronic warfare tactics, with drone jammers becoming a pivotal element in their strategies. By interfering with the communication signals between drones and their operators, these devices prevent the successful execution of aerial missions.