Military expert Serhiy Flesh reveals changes in the design of Russian “Shahed” attack drones and their impact on the effectiveness of Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) systems.
Changes in “Shahed” Design
Flesh notes that interceptor drone pilots have observed the absence of external CRPA antennas (Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna) on the wings of new “Shaheds.”
“The most fantastical theories are emerging around this. But it’s all simpler…”
1. Nature of the Change
- New location: Russians have removed the CRPA antennas from the wing and moved them inside the “Shahed” to the center.
- Antenna type: The modifications to the “Shahed” body have been made to accommodate specific Chinese antennas.
2. Conclusions Regarding the Change
- According to the expert, such a design change for specific Chinese components indicates the enemy’s confidence in long-term and stable cooperation with China regarding the supply of these critically important elements.
- CRPA antennas are used to increase the resistance of the navigation signal to jamming. Moving the antennas inside and their, presumably, improved characteristics complicate the work of Ukrainian EW systems.
Problems for Ukrainian EW
The main problem highlighted by the expert is:
- The existing Ukrainian EW systems cannot suppress these new “Shahed” antennas “everywhere across the entire country.”
- Currently, the Ukrainian side can only cover objects critical for the country.
This fact underscores the constant technological race between Ukrainian EW systems and Russian UAVs, as well as the critical importance of international cooperation (in this case, China) in supporting the Russian Federation’s military capabilities.
