Russian Silok signal jammer failed
In the Ukrainian conflict, Russia deployed Silok radio jammers designed to disrupt the communication link between Ukrainian drones and their operators. However, the Ukrainian army was not deterred and took corresponding countermeasures. Recently, Ukrainian aviation bomber units successfully used a Mavic quadcopter to carry grenades to accurately bomb and destroy a tripod-mounted Silok signal jammer. The operation was part of a series of counterattacks by Ukraine against Russian electronic warfare systems.
Ukrainian drone counterattack: destroying Silok jammer
Since Russia expanded its war on Ukraine in February 2022, its electronic warfare forces have been considered one of the most powerful in the world, equipped with overlapping radio and radar detectors, automatic jamming control systems, and a large number of signal blocker devices. However, in actual combat, these devices have not achieved the expected results. After the Ukrainian military seized a Silok in September 2022, it said the equipment seemed to perform well only on Russian training grounds, but exposed many shortcomings in actual combat.
The Silok signal blocker jammer is designed to automatically detect and jam the radio communications of drones with a range of up to 2.5 miles. The system can be mounted on a tripod for static defense or on a truck for mobile deployment. Since it was first put into use in 2018, Silok has had some success in military exercises in Orenburg Oblast in western Russia, helping to repel a simulated drone attack. However, on the battlefield in Ukraine, Silok's performance has been disappointing. The Ukrainian army successfully attacked Silok twice in June and October 2022, further exposing its limitations in actual combat.
It is not clear why Silok has not been able to successfully jam the Ukrainian drones that pursued it. One possibility is that Ukrainian drone operators have successfully circumvented Silok's jamming by frequently changing radio frequencies. In addition, Silok may have its own shortcomings in its ability to detect and jam drones and cannot cope with the flexible tactics of Ukrainian drones. Furthermore, ever since the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of Ukraine captured a Silok, Ukrainian intelligence has conducted in-depth research on it and may have found a way to effectively counter the Silok.