The active exploitation of the topic of "Russian aggression" sometimes leads to very interesting results. In a hurry to tell about an evil Russia, plotting evil and preparing to attack everyone in a row, some foreign media outlets, as they say, go too far. Their sensational publications not only attract attention, but lead to the appearance of the most real refutations in other publications. A perfect example of this situation has been observed in recent days.
An interesting story began the week before last. On April 14, on the eve of the Day of Electronic Warfare Specialist, the Russian TV channel "Russia 1" showed a reportage dedicated to the upcoming professional holiday. The story titled "Electronic confrontation: how to neutralize the enemy without firing a single shot" briefly described the latest achievements of the Russian defense industry in the field of electronic warfare systems, demonstrated new complexes of this kind and provided some quotes. Such reports are published on all professional military holidays and have not yet become a reason for excitement.
On April 19, the British tabloid The Sun reacted to Russian television news. The publication, widely known for its craving for "hot" news, in its trademark manner considered the story of the TV channel "Russia 1" and almost raised a panic. The usual plot for the upcoming holiday was viewed in the light of the "Russian threat" and not without a touch of sensationalism. An article from The Sun entitled “Shock tactics. Russia claims it can wipe out entire US Navy with a single 'electronic bomb' in bizarre propaganda report "(Shocking tactics. …
In addition, this publication caught the eye of the authors of other publications, including more serious ones that had not previously shown love for exaggerated sensations or "stuffing". This was followed by a natural result. So, already on April 20, the respected magazine Popular Mechanics posted on its official website an article “Don't Buy the Reports About Russia's Scary E-Weapons”, which is a response to the publication of the British journalists. The Sun has not yet reacted in any way to the response of the American edition, and, apparently, will not do so. Over the past few days, new interesting topics have appeared in the field of politics, the life of celebrities, etc.
The current situation looks very interesting. The Russian TV channel spoke about the successes of the domestic industry and the army, the British publication began to frighten the reader with these successes, and American journalists, in turn, rushed to calm the worried public. Let's consider the latest publications of the three countries in more detail.
"Russia 1": how to neutralize the enemy without firing a single shot
The report of the Russian TV channel began with a reminder of the date. The holiday of EW specialists is celebrated on the anniversary of the first use of jamming to suppress enemy communications. It happened back in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War. It is noted that now the troops, "who do not need ammunition," can suppress not only communications, but also air defense systems or enemy satellites.
At the beginning of the plot, one of the newest domestic developments was shown - a small-sized electronic warfare complex "Lesochek". A small, protected case contains a jammer that suppresses the radio channels for controlling explosive devices. It is argued that at the moment the Lesochek system is the most effective means of combating such threats.
The author of the report recalled that in the course of recent armed conflicts, the importance of electronic warfare systems was clearly shown. Russia has similar funds. The existing complexes are capable of providing cover for command posts, air defense systems, groupings of troops, as well as administrative and industrial facilities. To protect all necessary objects, it is possible to suppress ground-based radar systems, aircraft radars of early warning aircraft and even reconnaissance satellites.
Further, the TV channel "Russia 1" recalled the famous story with the participation of the Russian Su-24 aircraft and the American destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), which took place in the Black Sea in April 2014. As proof of the effectiveness of the Russian Khibiny system, allegedly on board the aircraft, a famous quote attributed to an unnamed member of the ship's crew was cited. In addition, the story, which was actively discussed in the past, was illustrated by the corresponding video sequence.
The topic of land-based electronic warfare systems was also touched upon. The authors of the report recalled the existence of the Murmansk system, which is capable of monitoring the shortwave range and controlling the space within a radius of up to 5 thousand km. It was noted that this complex operates precisely on the frequencies used by NATO headquarters in Europe.
As further proof of the effectiveness of Russian electronic warfare - and recognition of this fact - the words of Brigadier General Frank Gorenk, who heads the European group of the US Air Force, were cited. Earlier, the general said that Russian electronic weapons completely paralyze American electronics on missiles, planes and ships.
The report ends with the well-known thesis that electronic warfare is a key element of modern warfare. To win, expensive means of destruction are not needed - only powerful electromagnetic radiation of the required parameters can be sufficient.
The Sun: shocking tactics and just one "electronic bomb"
His article “Shock tactics. Russia claims it can wipe out entire US Navy with a single 'electronic bomb' in bizarre propaganda report "British journalist Tom Michael begins with the main thesis: Russia claims that it can" in one fell swoop "disable all the United States naval forces, for which he plans to use powerful radio interference.
T. Michael refers to the report of the channel "Russia 1". He writes that in another news item from a country where the media is effectively controlled by the authorities, it was told about new technologies that make ships, planes and missiles useless.
The Sun freely quotes a Russian journalist: today, the personnel of the electronic warfare units can find and neutralize any radio equipment installed on equipment or spacecraft. T. Michael also spoke about the mention of an incident three years ago with a Russian plane and an American ship. It is noted that the news report mentioned several flights of the Su-24 past the destroyer, during which the ship's electronics were turned off and left its carrier unprotected. In addition, the story of Russian journalists is mentioned about the possibility of creating "electronic domes" over important objects, thanks to which they become invisible to enemy detection equipment.
The British press also drew attention to the quotation of the American General F. Gorenk. T. Michael, referring to an unnamed representative of the US military, writes that the commander of the Air Force in Europe has never made statements like those cited by "Russian propaganda."
The Sun points to a curious feature of Russian reporting. It is said to have appeared after US President Donald Trump sent an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) to the shores of the Korean Peninsula. On board the aircraft carrier, according to the British tabloid, there are about a hundred aircraft, and the ship itself is accompanied by destroyers, cruisers and submarines.
T. Michael also mentions recent rumors about the possible dispatch of carrier groups led by USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) to the Korean Peninsula. The transition of two orders to the Sea of Japan should begin on the next week relative to the publication date, i.e. April 24-30.
After the order to send the first carrier strike group to the new location for solving the assigned tasks, it became known that Russia and China were pulling their reconnaissance ships to the shores of the two Koreas. The transfer of spy ships, as noted by T. Michael, is carried out in parallel with the statements of Vladimir Putin, who called on the United States to show restraint.
Popular Mechanics: There Is No E-Bomb
Already on April 20, the American publication Popular Mecanics reacted to the new sensation of the British "production" with an article "Don't Buy the Reports About Russia's Scary E-Weapons" by Kyle Mizokami, a security specialist. This publication received a laconic subtitle that reveals its entire essence: "There is no" electronic bomb "-" There is no "electronic bomb".
The Popular Mechanics article begins with some pretty bold claims. According to the author, the Russian report quoted by the British tabloid is an excellent example of "fake" - unreliable news released for one purpose or another. At the same time, the article from The Sun is a "big pile" of claims about Russia's ability to "destroy" the US navy with just one single "electronic bomb." K. Mizokami claims that all this is not even close to the truth, and immediately promises to explain why.
Russian television coverage claims that electronic warfare troops can "neutralize any target", including "ship or satellite radar." Apparently, they were referring to synthetic aperture radars used on spacecraft, aircraft, NATO ships and other platforms. Such locators, using radio waves, are able to form an image of targets in the air and on the ground. In this case, reminds the American expert, "neutralization" does not mean the destruction of something. In this situation, we are talking, rather, about the "jamming" of the detection means and their blinding.
One of the novelties in the arsenals of the Russian EW troops - a special device called "Lesochek", made in the shape of a suitcase, was shown in the TV channel "Russia 1". During operation, this complex blocks radio commands sent from control panels to improvised explosive devices. K. Mizokami notes that such technical means are not a novelty or a rarity. Such electronic warfare systems have been in service with the United States for more than ten years and are still relevant.
The American author also dwelled on the statements of the Russian media about a breakthrough in the field of electronic warfare, which resulted in promising means with the ability to counter reconnaissance satellites, ground-based radars and early warning aircraft. The report further referred to the incident with the "Donald Cook" and the Russian plane, during which the latter used jamming. K. Mizokami recalls that a little later in 2014, false reports appeared, according to which the ship's radars were completely paralyzed by the Khibiny electronic warfare system installed on the Su-24.
The plot also stated that the "Khibiny" (a really existing system - the author notes) can "deactivate the systems of the entire ship." According to other Russian news, 27 sailors from the American destroyer were so shocked by the incident that they resigned after the events. This is precisely the effect of the very "electron bomb" that The Sun writes about. Nevertheless, as the author of Popular Mechanics rightly recalls, the Khibiny complex is not dropped like a bomb, although it is suspended on the outer pylons of the carrier.
Then the question is asked: is there even a grain of truth in the information told in the Russian report? K. Mizokami refers to an article written by the Internet publication War Is Boring by Michael Peck, who believes that such information is not true. He asks the question: how did the Russian pilots know that the radar station of the Aegis ship complex had been "shut down"? And then M. Peck reminds that the suppressed locator is not disabled. He continues to work, although he can no longer seek goals. In addition, electronic warfare equipment is extremely rarely used in peacetime against a potential enemy. The fact is that the enemy gets the opportunity to detect interference, analyze it and create countermeasures.
Further, the American specialist examined reports about the Murmansk complex, capable of monitoring air at ranges of up to 3200 miles. These complexes have been supplied to the Russian armed forces since last year. They can indeed find and suppress enemy communications signals. The result, according to Russian journalists, is like a kind of invisibility shield covering the desired object and preventing the operation of enemy detection equipment. K. Mizokami believes that such an electronic warfare system can really exist, but the above description of the "invisibility shield" looks too bizarre.
The plot of "Russia 1" ended with a "pompous line": you don't need an expensive weapon to win; powerful radio-electronic interference is enough for you to win. The author notes that such a thesis does not fully correspond to the previously told things. Earlier in the report it was said that electronic warfare means can only block enemy detection systems and only hide their forces. Nevertheless, in order to win the war, you need to kill the enemy and destroy his material part.
According to Kyle Mizokami, the plot of the Russian TV channel and the article of the British tabloid are a mixture of real facts and fiction. The Russian electronic warfare troops are indeed armed with powerful systems for various purposes. Nevertheless, one must remember about the eccentrics who say that these complexes can independently win the war or force foreign sailors to go ashore.
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The latest Russian developments in the field of weapons and military equipment regularly become "heroes" of publications in the foreign press. Articles and reports from the domestic media also sometimes attract attention. However, the cases when Russian journalists unwittingly provoke polemics among foreign colleagues are not too numerous and therefore are of great interest. This is exactly what happened with the recent report on the EW troops and their materiel.
It is easy to see that the Russian story "Electronic confrontation: how to neutralize the enemy without firing a single shot" was released in connection with the professional holiday of electronic warfare specialists and did not pursue the goal of fully disclosing the existing situation, and also did not claim anything more. However, it has been spotted in the UK and the results are known.
The characteristic tone of the article “Shock tactics. Russia claims it can wipe out entire US Navy with a single ‘electronic bomb’ in bizarre propaganda report”from The Sun perfectly demonstrates the publication's desire to create a sensation, as they say, out of the blue. In this case, a plot dedicated to the Day of Electronic Warfare Specialists fell under the hot hand. The statements from this story were examined from the point of view of current trends, resulting in a specific publication. Moreover, this article even managed to provoke other publications to a new wave of exposing the "evil and aggressive Russians."
The real voice of reason in this situation is "Don't Buy the Reports About Russia's Scary E-Weapons" by Popular Mechanics. Its author is trying to understand the reasons for the panic of British journalists, and comes to certain conclusions that can even claim to be objective. True, it should be noted that K. Mizokami not only exposed the inflated sensation from The Sun, but also expressed certain claims to the Russia 1 TV channel.
The reasons for the observed events are of greatest interest in the context of mass and international discussion of Russian electronic warfare systems. Often, articles about the threatening successes of a potential adversary appear in connection with the desire of the military or industry of individual countries to convince the public of the presence of a threat and to receive premiums to the military budget. In this case, probably, the reasons are different. The specific politics and reputation of The Sun tabloid make it possible to suspect it solely of a desire to make a sensation in line with current political trends, and thereby increase its ratings.
As for the Popular Mechanics magazine, its editors, probably, also decided to join the mass discussions, but to do it without loud sensations, having received their share of attention due to attempts to observe objectivity. With some reservations, it can be argued that this task was successfully solved.
The calendar of the Russian Armed Forces contains many professional holidays of various branches of the armed forces and branches of the armed forces. Before each of them, the domestic media prepare thematic publications, stories, etc. Nevertheless, for some reason it was the recent Day of the EW Specialist that provoked an interesting, albeit ambiguous, reaction from the foreign press. Time will tell when we see such events again, why they will begin and what topic they will touch upon.
Plot and article "Electronic confrontation: how to neutralize the enemy without firing a single shot":
