China Seeks Solution for Russia to Counter Drones Controlled via 4G and Starlink

Internal documentation of the Russian corporation Rostec has revealed cooperation between Russia and China in the supply of electronic warfare (EW) systems to protect strategic sites from Ukrainian drones.

The Black Mirror hacker group published relevant materials.

The document indicates that Chinese electronic warfare systems have been used by Russia at least since August 2023, including for the protection of its military airfields.

Furthermore, Russia sought to establish joint development, production, and supply of EW systems with a group of Chinese companies working in this field. The group included a research institute that develops modern EW systems, a manufacturing enterprise capable of quickly setting up serial production, a logistics company with all necessary supply channels, and a Chinese insurance company.

Under the direction of Russia’s Ministry of Defense, cooperation was conducted to test and deploy Chinese-made products during the war with Ukraine.

“Currently [editor’s note: summer 2023], Chinese scientists are working on the development and production of devices for detecting and destroying UAVs controlled via 4G cellular frequencies, as well as countering the American satellite system Starlink,” the Rostec document states.

It also mentions cooperation on the development of protection against underwater and surface maritime vehicles.

The Russians noted that the electronic warfare (EW) systems offered by Chinese companies, in addition to modern technical solutions, were characterized by “low cost, short production timelines, and the ability to supply in the required quantities.”

At the Army-2023 forum, an electronic warfare (EW) system was presented, which consisted of:

• A UAV detection scanner operating on frequencies from 300-6000 MHz.
• A radar capable of detecting even slow and low-flying drones (speed up to 1 m/s, flight altitude from 10 m).
• A jammer that suppresses UAV communication channels simultaneously across five frequency bands (with a 200 MHz bandwidth) and an output power of 50 W for each band.
• An optical device with an automatic target tracking function, with a range of 3 km in daylight and 1 km in the infrared spectrum.
• A GPS coordinate spoofing device.

Russian specialists noted that the system remains undetectable to the enemy, is mobile, and can quickly change its location. The claimed deployment time is 30 minutes.

Russian military personnel were also shown portable UAV countermeasures:

• An 8-channel gun with a jamming range of up to 1.2 km and a power of 15 W.
• A handheld UAV detection scanner with a range of more than 2.0 km.
• A handheld backpack jammer with a suppression power of 30 W.
• A shield-based UAV detector and jammer with a range of more than 2.5 km.

According to the Rostec document, as of August 2023, Chinese systems are already in use by the military and can be localized.

“After the forum, the system successfully passed testing at the Alabino range and is currently on combat duty at the Shaikovka airfield, where on August 21, 2023, it gained combat experience, during which a drone was detected and jammed at a distance of 2 km…” – the document states.