Fed up of the West's indecisiveness on dealing with the ongoing situation in Syria, Russia is now providing direct military air support to Syria, and it is using electronic warfare to jam Islamic State's (IS) communications, as well as to prevent Nato from detecting what it is up to, according to an electronic warfare expert.

Electronic warfare is the ability to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum in order to sense where enemy targets are so that you can attack the enemy first, or to prevent the enemy from attacking you. Examples of things you can do with electronic warfare include communications jamming, radar jamming, reconnaissance and countermeasures using infrared, radio and electro-optical frequencies.

On 5 October, Russian military Krasukha-4, its mobile, ground-based electronic warfare systems, were spotted in Syria. The Krasukha-4 is a broadband multifunctional jamming station that is based on a BAZ-6910-022 four-axle-chassis and is able to neutralise low-Earth orbit (LEO) spy satellites such as the US Lacrosse/Onyx series, airborne surveillance radars and radar-guided ordinance at ranges between 150km-300km.

According to David Stupples, a Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Director of Electronic Warfare at City University London, the Krasukha-4 is being used by the Russian military to deny IS surveillance information and radio communications.

Russia against all of Assad's enemies

Russia has long been supporting Syria's president Bashar al-Assad, supplying arms and training to Syrian forces. However, the issue is that Russia isn't just there to get rid of Isis, but all of Assad's enemies, which include all the rebel groups who oppose his rule.


This contravenes with Nato's objective, which has been to also use electronic warfare to gather information about and hinder IS, and give it to friendly rebel forces. So, both Nato and Russia are now turning their state-of-the-art technologies against each other, on top of dealing with IS.

"Russia is aware that NATO surveillance assets are able to monitor all Syrian-based Russian military aircraft activity, including the rebel groups it is targeting, locations and weapons used. Some of these rebel groups are directly supported by the US and its allies which may result in Russia becoming in direct political conflict with Nato," Stupples writes in a piece for The Conversation.


To avoid being spied on, Russia needs to blind the eyes and silence the ears of Nato reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering assets so its actions are not open to close scrutiny."

The problem is that the Krasukha-4 has already proved to be highly effective when used against Ukrainian forces in Donbas, according to Lt General Hodges, the commander of US Army Forces Europe.

"The quality of the electronic warfare [EW] capability that Russians have employed in eastern Ukraine, this is not something that you can create in the basement of your home," Hodges told Defense News in March.

"The Russians have continued to move forward with their EW modernisation. They have demonstrated the ability to completely shut down everything the Ukrainians are using in terms of communications."


A New Cold War?

Stupples says that the Krasukha-4 will definitely prove to be a thorn in the side of Nato: "Its surveillance systems will not only be able to monitor Nato aircraft movement over Syria but also the types, and from its intelligence it will know the frequencies used and signal characteristics present – Lacrosse satellites and AWACS operate in S-band, Sentinel (and similar) in X-band, and drones in J-band.

"Lacrosse/Onyx satellite positions are continually tracked by Russia. With this intelligence detail the Krasukha-4 can be programmed to engage in order to deny or disrupt Nato intelligence gathering."

On the plus side at least Nato forces have electronic counter counter measures (ECCM) that they can use against Russia, which will require Nato to dodge Russian jamming signals by jumping onto other frequencies, or pointing its antennas away from the jamming source.

"Of course, it would also be possible for Nato to jam the Russian surveillance radar, denying them of identification and positioning of Nato aircraft – but this would really ramp up the war of words with Vladimir Putin," Stupples concludes, adding that Russia's results using the Krasukha-4 against Nato will help it sell the system to other governments.

"We must also accept that the Krasukha-4 EW system is an essential part of the defence of Russian forces at the Latakia airfield in Syria and this must not be denied them."

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/russia-using-electronic-warfare-cloak-its-actions-syria-isis-nato-1523328

please if the finish with isis they should move down to Nigeria to help us clear boko haram and other Muslims extremist in Nigeria, its seems Buhari cannot deal with his brothers.

D

D type of technology Biafra is already using against the zoo country through radio Biafra, which the zoo country can never jam.

A highly advanced one is coming once Biafra gains indepedence.

Good works Putin. We dey your back

If Obama suceeds in his arm control measures in america, the world is doomed..

Mekus68:
D type of technology Biafra is already using against the zoo country through radio Biafra, which the zoo country can never jam.

A highly advanced one is coming once Biafra gains indepedence.

ona like to deceive onaself

Mekus68:
D type of technology Biafra is already using against the zoo country through radio Biafra, which the zoo country can never jam.

A highly advanced one is coming once Biafra gains indepedence.

hahahahahahahahahahaha.

The russians were also able to shut down all communication/electronic gadget of the USS DONALD COOK@the black sea in april 2014..,forcing the 'donald duck'to seek shelter in a romanian port..i keep telling folks,the russians dont need to spend $600billion on defence before they engage any nation on earth...what shall it profit a WORLD POWER like(US),if after spending billions on military budget,only for its Destroyer to be blinded by an unarmed russian bomber? http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/11/13/aegis-fail-in-black-sea-ruskies-burn-down-uss-donald-duck/ http://m.sputniknews.com/russia/20150530/1022751505.html. http://www.voltairenet.org/article185860.html. http://www.infowars.com/russians-disable-u-s-guided-missile-destroyer/

and in the middle of exercise( war game) in 2008 or dear about a Chinese submarine sub- Madge right behind USS KITTY HOK an aircraft carrier with all his strike group none of their assets(submarine,guided cruiser,destroyers,frigates amphibious assault ships, f16 c/d/s drones,satellite,) None of them picked it up on their radar screen until it submerge right under their aircraft carrier in the middle of destroyers.that shameful incident lead to the decommissioning of KITTY HOK and forward deployment of USS GEORGE WASHINGTON CGS(carrier strike group)

The most an average Nigerian knows about Russia is from Hollywood movies where the ruskies are usually the conquered baddies. There is a reason why Nato was formed, and still in existence, if US could defeat Russia on its own, they should not have formed and continue to have Nato.

I don't want to see a war between these two, America is not likely to come out of any war with Russia unscathed, history has told us the Russians never give up, US have not fought a major war on its own ever, the little middle eastern countries it has occupied had been via coalition, we have not seen the American resilience in a war and I don't think any sane person wants to see that happening in a war which involves Russia.