Even before the active phase of the military confrontation for the independence of the LDNR, the Donetsk militias managed to take the Mandat-B1E ASP from the Topaz, which is now in service with the Armed Forces of Novorossiya. ASP has high countermeasures against most communications, including the low end of the cellular range. The complex includes: 1 multi-frequency electronic reconnaissance module R-330RD and 6 jamming modules for HF, VHF-1 and VHF-2 bands (KV-1, UV-1 and UV-2, respectively), for each band 2 module
While browsing last week the most important and informative source about the events in the LPNR, “Reports from the Novorossiya militia,” I came across a very interesting, but also meticulous and annoying message from bloggers. As it became known, one of the OSCE SMM observation UAVs once again captured on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic "traces" of the presence of the Russian automated active jamming station R-330 "Zhitel", intended for setting powerful REPs to GSM base stations, GPS devices and satellite communications "Insmart" and "Iridium", as well as for conducting electronic reconnaissance for various sources of radiation in the frequency range from 0.1 to 2 GHz with accurate bearing of azimuth coordinates on a preloaded tactical map with an accuracy of 2 degrees. The jamming frequencies are in the range from 0.8 to 1.9 GHz.
The reason for identifying the station as a "Resident" was the original design of the passive RER antenna installed at the mobile operator's control center: it is represented by a "disk-comb" receiving device, very similar to antenna installations for scanning air bands of the "disconus" type. The disk plane of the antenna has 9 receiving elements, which radically differs from the RER antenna design on the operator's cabin of the Mandat-B1E automated jamming station (here it is represented by a correct hexagonal prism and a discone antenna at the top of the mast, see the top photo).
Based on open sources, we note: in the photo, jamming modules of the Mandat-B1E complex (KV-1, UV-1 and UV-2). Computing means of the complex allow simultaneously suppressing 60 emitting communication means with a fixed frequency or 6 communication means in the mode of pseudo-random tuning of the operating frequency
The Ukrainian side and the OSCE interpret the photo as evidence of the supply of Russian military systems to Novorossiya, and the would-be blogger is madly trying to prove that this is not a Zhitel developed by the Voronezh PROTEK OJSC, but a slightly modernized version of Mandat-B1E in the antenna part ", Produced by Donetsk" Topaz ". But wait a minute. Let's evaluate everything more soberly. The States are supplying the junta with counter-battery artillery reconnaissance radars such as AN / TPQ-36 "Firefinder" and other serious equipment aimed at destroying the Donbass. Crimea for several days in a row under the attacks of the "Pravoseks" and Crimean Tatars wandering with small arms near the border. And the LDNR in such a situation do not have the right to an adequate "military trade" to protect their sovereignty and civilians? Into the “furnace” of such bloggers: it's time to adequately assess the situation, and not be “insoles” of the West and, on pain of execution, be afraid to talk about the possibility of a military organization and so on, because Washington is doing it officially and is not shy about it.
And for such bloggers, I propose to watch a very entertaining and rich in truth speech by the founder and head of the “shadow CIA” “Stratfor”, George Friedman. Listen especially carefully about the supply of weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
So, the DPR Armed Forces have at their disposal the above means of electronic countermeasures. It's time to evaluate their tactical effectiveness during the preparation of an offensive operation by the enemy, as well as directly during its implementation.
Both before and during the enemy's offensive operation, a long and dense artillery preparation is carried out with the simultaneous advancement and distribution of armored and infantry platoons and brigades in various operational directions. All of them support tactical radio communication through wearable radios (Baofeng, Motorola, etc. with a power of up to 10 W) and more powerful automobile and military radio stations (over 20 W). The radio-electronic means of the ATS "Zhitel" are capable of easily calculating the coordinates of these stations, as well as carrying out classification at a distance of 20 to 30 km. For this, the antenna post on the mast with guy ropes can be raised to a height of about 10 meters. According to the working radio stations (regardless of the presence of frequency hopping or scrambling), ATS operators can determine the areas of the smallest and largest concentrations of various enemy formations, after which the processed data will help to correctly form defensive orders even before the direct fire confrontation of the parties.
The use of mobile communications is also very widespread now, which can provide friendly forces with final information about the "backbones" and weakened sectors of enemy offensive formations. The "discone" antenna of the "Mandat-B1E" complex is of great importance: with the help of it, the VSN can monitor radio stations installed on Ukrainian UAVs, as well as combat aircraft of assault and fighter aircraft (Su-25, Su-27 and MiG-29) … With a 50-70-kilometer bearing range of airborne radio-emitting objects, the operators of the "Resident" and "Mandate" can notify the crews of friendly units 5-7 minutes before the approach of an enemy UAV, fighter or attack aircraft.
But the most interesting thing begins when a powerful uninhabited emitting module ASP "Zhitel" with 4 straight "comb" transmitting antennas comes into play. Each antenna is mounted on a telescopic mast and is powered either from an industrial network or from a powerful diesel generator built into the module. In the absence and / or failure of the above means, a 24 V battery can be used, which is enough for the normal operation of the operator module and the RER complex, for the operation of the electronic warfare module, the batteries will also be enough, but most likely not at full capacity. In a city the area of which is comparable to Mariupol, one “Zhitel” ATS can almost completely suppress the operation of almost all GSM-standard cellular networks operating in the range from 850 to 1900 MHz. At the same time, 12 stations can be suppressed within a radius of about 25 km, which can deprive an entire brigade or regiment of the enemy with standard mobile communications. In turn, if the city has a very dense development of high-rise buildings and other high-rise buildings, as well as a difficult terrain, located in the low-lying ASP "Zhitel" work requires a direct line of sight to the suppressed object. In Donetsk, for example, the infrastructure can also create some difficulties in conducting electronic reconnaissance and jamming, but the situation remains acceptable, since the closest positions of the Kiev junta troops are located outside the DAP (Donetsk airport) in the village of Donetsk. Avdeevka, Vodyanoe, Krasnogorovka, Maksimilyanovka, etc. When deploying ASP positions near Dokuchaevsk and Makeyevka, the infrastructure of Donetsk will not prevent the spread of interference to these settlements.
But the automated jamming stations "Zhitel" and "Mandat-B1E" also have other disadvantages. First, interference at frequencies up to 2 GHz has absolutely no effect against such strategic reconnaissance aircraft as ground targeting aircraft E-8C "J-STARS" and AWACS aircraft E-3C / G. Their AN / APY-2/3 radar systems operate in the X and S-bands at frequencies from 2 to 12 GHz, which does not allow hiding the positions of either the operator's module with the RER antenna, or the emitting jamming module. To cover the positions of these ATS, it is necessary to synchronize with such electronic warfare means as 1L222 "Avtobaza" (operating frequency range from 8 to 17, 544 GHz) and "Krasukha-2/4" (with an even wider range of frequencies for setting the REP).
Deployed ASP R-330Zh "Zhitel". The time of bringing from the marching to the firing position is approaching 1 hour, which is some disadvantage of the system
Secondly, the ASP "Zhitel" is unable to jam the UMTS channel with a frequency range from 1885 to 2200 MHz, as well as 3G networks, the frequency of which exceeds 1.9 GHz. This ASP also cannot compete with Wi-Fi and Wi-MAX networks, and therefore more high-frequency electronic countermeasures are needed. After all, any enemy spotter with a more or less advanced smartphone on the Android OS will be able to complete the task, since his device will have more frequencies than the Resident.
A separate item is the task of radio countermeasures to the enemy's HF-VHF communications, which include portable and car radio stations: the Borisoglebsk-2 REP complexes, and, by the way, Mandat-B1E, perfectly cope with these tasks. Unlike Zhitel, Mandat is capable of delivering aiming and barrage interference at frequencies from 1.5 to 1000 MHz, which overlaps the frequency ranges of all known radio stations. In opposition to cellular communication, the "Resident" shows itself from the best side. The stations completely complement each other.
Despite all the existing shortcomings of the ATS "Zhitel" and "Mandat-B1E", their integration into a single network-centric link makes it possible to achieve significant success in suppressing most of the communications equipment used by the enemy in offensive operations. This means that a high level of demoralization of the militants of the Ukrainian formations is inevitable. With the addition of higher-frequency electronic warfare systems, protection will also be provided against American manned strategic reconnaissance aircraft and drones, which can "appear" in the Ukrainian airspace at any time.
