Ukraine struggles with low missile accuracy amid Russian jamming
12:16 PM EDT, May 26, 2024
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are facing a severe problem. It concerns the exceptionally low accuracy of the missiles supplied by Western countries. Pentagon experts advise Ukrainians to focus on destroying modern enemy jamming systems (EW), which significantly hinder the operation of the equipment provided by NATO.
The war in Ukraine has become a testing ground for weapons supplied from the USA and Europe. Unfortunately, at this moment, Russia has "learned" to effectively defend against, among other things, American Excalibur missiles and those from HIMARS launchers.
Journalists from "The Washington Post" put forth a bold thesis regarding the cause of Russia's current advantage on the battlefield. According to them, it is precisely the jamming systems that the aggressor's troops have.
Russia's ability to counter advanced technology ammunition has far-reaching consequences for Ukraine and its Western supporters and is a key reason why Moscow's forces have regained the initiative and are moving forward on the battlefield – reports the Washington Post.
Drastic drop in accuracy of American-made missiles
According to confidential data cited by "The Washington Post" journalists, Ukrainians had great success with 6-inch Excalibur ammunition. At the beginning of 2023, over 50 percent of this artillery ammunition hit Russian targets.
In the next few months, the accuracy of Excalibur missiles dropped drastically – to 10 percent. As a result, Americans simply stopped sending them to Ukrainians.
How is Ukraine countering Russian technology?
One way Ukrainians counter Russia's jamming is by targeting and attacking electronic warfare systems with drones before using HIMARS artillery. The second solution, which could result in Ukraine regaining the initiative on the battlefield, is the much-anticipated introduction of F-16 aircraft.
Such modern aircraft would allow the Ukrainian air force to sideline the Russians, enabling the use of other types of weapons with greater range and capable of avoiding some electronic warfare systems – reports "The Washington Post".
