Russian Mi-8AMTSh Helicopters Equipped With Volna 3M Electronic Warfare System to Jam UAV Satellite Navigation

The Russians have equipped the Mi-8AMTSh multi-purpose helicopter with the Volna 3M electronic warfare system to jam the satellite navigation systems of long-range UAVs.

This was reported by Militarnyi after identifying the electronic warfare system, the installation of which on the helicopters had been reported earlier.

It is claimed that the system, manufactured by Russky Kupol, is capable not only of jamming signals but also of spoofing the coordinates of satellite navigation systems such as GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, and Galileo.

The manufacturer claims that Volna 3M is capable of disrupting a drone’s mission at a distance of up to 80 kilometers. At the same time, the effective range of influence on jamming-protected navigation system receivers is 20 kilometers.

The system operates in two frequency bands: 1144–1312 MHz and 1557–1607 MHz, covering the main frequencies of satellite navigation signals. It uses three independent channels with an output power of at least 180 W per channel and a total power of at least 550 W.

The signal is generated using BPSK, BOC, CBOC, and AltBOC modulations, which are designed to accurately simulate navigation signals and increase the likelihood that a receiver will lock onto false coordinates.

Each antenna contains a single radiator with a radiation pattern of 60° vertically and 90° horizontally. An active cooling system ensures stable operation at high output power and during continuous use. It is claimed that the effective jamming range is up to 80 km for civilian GNSS receivers, up to 50 km for tactical receivers, and up to 20 km for jam-resistant receivers.

As a reminder, in June it was reported that Russian occupation forces had deployed Volna-Kupol-Garant electronic warfare systems manufactured by the company Russky Kupol to counter the Starlink satellite communication system.

The system consists of trailers equipped with two satellite antennas. The unit tracks the satellite’s flight path and emits a powerful signal that disrupts the connection of Starlink terminals within a radius of 3–4 kilometers.

According to its specifications, the system operates in the 14–14.5 GHz frequency band and is capable of affecting targets within a 360-degree azimuth and a 110-degree elevation angle.

Such systems are used to protect important critical and military infrastructure facilities or logistics hubs. In particular, one of these systems was spotted in the temporarily occupied city of Kerch, where it was destroyed by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.