Ukraine drone war: Russians deploy aliexpress jammers in defense

FPV drones have become one of the symbols of the war in Ukraine. They are very simple yet effective solutions if the opponent does not have appropriate defense measures. They cause such terror that the Russians have even developed a personal jammer mounted on a helmet.

Both Ukrainians and, to a lesser extent, Russians are trying to massively use FPV drones to attack not only vehicles but even individual soldiers. These drones are stripped-down constructions like DJI Mavic drones. The only components left are the frame, electric motors with rotors, a camera, and often an enlarged battery.

An explosive charge is then attached to such a drone, which can be PG-7VL anti-tank grenades, bomblets taken from cluster munitions, or old hand grenades. Two pieces of wire are often used as a detonator, whose contact closes the electrical circuit, causing the explosion.

Defense against these drones is ensured by systems jamming the control signal or means enabling their physical destruction. In the first case, jammers are becoming increasingly popular, not only mounted on tanks but even shaped like backpacks.

Now, the Russians have shown an ultra-light jammer adapted for mounting on weapons or helmets. Due to its size, its range will likely be limited, and it is probably tuned to specific frequencies. Considering previous instances of Russian jammers, this model may also be based on modules from AliExpress costing over $250.

They offer jamming frequencies from 433 MHz to 5.8 GHz, depending on the chosen option. In theory, they can be effective, but only until the opponent changes the control signal frequency, which has happened more than once. Then, such a jammer becomes an unnecessary weight.

There is also the issue of the electromagnetic field's harmfulness to the human body. In the case of such field jammers, there is no question of meeting safety limits imposed, for example, on transmitters or 5G base stations. For these field jammers, the most essential requirement is usually that they have the largest possible range and power at any cost.

The second, more certain method of eliminating drones is their physical removal. For improvised solutions, shotguns in the hands of experienced shooters or special modules on weapons, such as SMASH from the Israeli company Smart Shooter, are gaining considerable interest and demonstrate notable effectiveness.