With the evolution of modern warfare, electronic warfare has gradually become a key element in the military field. Ukraine recently deployed an electronic warfare system called Pokrova, which is aimed at satellite navigation systems, in an attempt to prevent Russian missiles and drones from spotting its important targets through jamming and deception. This move not only reveals Ukraine's progress in the field of electronic warfare, but also highlights how the security and stability of satellite navigation systems will become critical in future wars.
The core function of the Pokrova electronic warfare system is its ability to jam the Global Positioning System (GPS) as well as other satellite navigation systems, such as the Russian GLONASS system and the European Galileo system. These systems form the basis of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), which provides vital positioning, navigation and timing services for both military and civilian domains. However, in this Ukrainian plan, these systems have become potential targets.
Unlike common GNSS jamming methods, spoofing techniques allow the navigation system to give false location information by inserting false signals. This technique is more advanced than simple jamming because it requires the adversary system to not only receive the wrong signals, but also to interpret and process those signals to arrive at the wrong position. Such deception has gained more and more attention in recent years, as it enables effective interference in the actions of an adversary without destroying its systems.
Russia, as a leader in the field of electronic warfare, has been conducting research and practice of GNSS deception for many years. However, compared to small-scale, targeted applications in Russia, the Ukrainian Pokrova system is undoubtedly much larger in scale. This also means that once the system is fully operational, it will not only cause interference with Russian missiles and drones, but could also affect satellite navigation users in Ukraine, including smartphones and car navigation devices used by ordinary people.
It's important to note that while spoofing may result in GPS receivers receiving incorrect location information, this does not mean that the device will be permanently disabled as a result. In fact, because deception is usually activated only when threatened, its impact on the civilian sector may be relatively limited. However, in the military sphere, even a brief navigation error can lead to serious consequences, such as missiles deflecting from target, drones losing control, etc.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny disclosed the presence of the Pokrova system in a document, but did not disclose the specific time of activation. This strategy is clearly intended to maintain a tactical advantage over Russia, while also providing time for further refinement and testing of the system. At the same time, there are reports suggesting that the Pokrova system has managed to deceive the guidance system of the Iranian "Eyewitness" UAVs, as a result of which part of the UAVs did not reach their intended targets. This information, while unconfirmed, provides strong circumstantial evidence of Ukraine's electronic warfare capabilities.
The competition between Ukraine and Russia in the field of electronic warfare not only reflects the military strength of both sides, but also provides valuable experience for future forms of warfare. In the future, with the advancement of technology and the change of the shape of warfare, deception may become an important ** in the military field. And Ukraine's exploration and practice in this field will undoubtedly add more bargaining chips to its future military confrontation.
Thomas Wisington of the Royal Tri-Services Institute believes that Ukraine may be leading the way in terms of deception. This view is not groundless, but is based on Ukraine's continued investment and innovation in the field of electronic warfare. However, leading the way does not mean absolute superiority, and Ukraine still needs to face challenges and competition from other countries.