Ukraine uses electronic warfare to divert Russian ballistic and aeroballistic missiles. The Lima system affects the navigation signals of the munitions and can force them to change their course, The Wall Street Journal reports.
One of the cases described is related to a Russian attack on a key government facility in Kiev earlier this year. Moscow fired two ballistic missiles, but neither reached its target. Both fell into the Dnieper River after the intervention of a Ukrainian electronic jamming unit known as the “Night Watch“.
Lima operates at a distance of up to 200 kilometers
The commander of the unit with the call sign “Alchemist“ told journalists that Lima emits a signal at a distance of up to 200 kilometers. At this range, the system can affect drones, missiles and guided aerial bombs.
According to data cited in the publication, in November last year Lima was also used against a Russian aeroballistic missile “Dagger“. According to officers from the “Night Watch“ the system sent a false navigation signal that diverted the missile from its course. After changing direction, it disintegrated under the influence of its own speed.
This thwarted a strike with a weapon that Russian President Vladimir Putin has described as “impossible to shoot down“. However, the Ukrainian military admits that Lima sometimes causes interference for its own drones during operations.
Radio electronic warfare is expanding
A Ukrainian officer claims that the system suppresses between 70% and 95% of radio-controlled drones detected in the sector where “Night Watch“ operates. Lima systems are used in various parts of Ukraine and, according to the division, are building a network to counter air threats.
Manufacturer Phantom Defense reported detecting more than 11,500 Russian drones in a year, with about 7,500 of them neutralized. The company December1 has increased deliveries of electronic warfare equipment from dozens of devices in 2024 to thousands per month.
The targets of these systems now include not only radios and radars, but also mobile phones, satellite navigation, guided munitions and drones. Ukraine and Russia also use fiber-optic cables for direct communication between operators and drones. This approach makes jamming more difficult, but makes the drones slower and less maneuverable.
Laser communications are also difficult to jam, but they work at short distances and in good weather conditions. Drones with artificial intelligence can target targets without constant commands from an operator, but according to Vito Tomasi, managing director of German manufacturer Quantum Systems, the technology is not yet reliable enough for autonomous orientation at long distances.
A race with constant innovation
The effectiveness of Lima depends on the type of target and its protection against radio-electronic interference. In late 2024, the Ukrainian military discovered Chinese antennas with a controllable radiation pattern in Russian weapons, which can determine the direction of the jamming signal and help bypass interference.
In response, “Night Watch“ and the system manufacturer developed Lima Quant. Russia, for its part, has increased the number of antennas in some of its systems. This turns electronic warfare into a constant race between new means of impact and technologies for overcoming them.
Western and Ukrainian air defense experts believe that systems like Lima can thwart ballistic missile attacks. However, they are not a full-fledged replacement for Patriot. Kinetic interceptors remain an important part of defense, while electronic warfare offers a cheaper way to counter certain air targets.
Sources: war.obozrevatel.com, wsj.com