GPS-Guided Weapons, Advanced Western Drones Used by Ukraine “Crippled” by Russian EW System
The Ukrainian drone battalion, known as "Achilles" and renowned for its expertise in drone operations, has stated that it will not utilize advanced Western-made weapons or drones, arguing that such equipment is incapable of performing its intended tasks effectively.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Ukraine’s “Achilles” drone battalion utilizes approximately 3,000 First Person View (FPV) drones monthly to target Russian military assets and positions.
However, as specialists in drone warfare, the battalion avoids using advanced Western-made weaponry or drones, arguing they are ineffective in combat.
“Take for example the Excalibur artillery shell, which uses GPS guidance for precision strikes. It’s completely useless,” a Ukrainian drone battalion officer said during a recent briefing with defense companies and journalists in London.
The briefing was organized by UK Friend of Ukraine.
The officer criticized even the best Western-made drones, saying, “They simply can’t fly.”
Despite substantial contributions of drones from Western nations to aid Ukraine against Russian forces, experts assert that many of these drones are unsuitable for the operational environment in Ukraine.
A significant number of donated drones face challenges in the battlefield, particularly against Russian electronic warfare systems.
The primary issue, according to the officer, is that modern Western weapons are easily neutralized by Russian electronic warfare tactics.
The Russian military actively employs electronic warfare techniques, such as “spoofing,” to protect its units.
This involves broadcasting stronger signals than those sent by GPS satellites, misleading GPS receivers to misidentify target locations.
In testimony to the U.S. Congress in March, it was revealed that the accuracy rate of GPS-guided Excalibur shells had plummeted from 70% to just 6% within months of their deployment in Ukraine, due to Russian electronic countermeasures.
According to Western media reports in April last year, the U.S. military had supplied approximately 3,000 Excalibur shells to Ukraine, with each shell costing an estimated $100,000 (RM450,000).
Even high-profile systems like the U.S.-supplied Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) have been significantly impacted by Russian electronic warfare.
CNN reported that GMLRS rockets frequently missed their intended targets.
Each GMLRS rocket costs approximately $160,000 (RM758,000).
Similarly, Ukraine’s JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) systems, provided by the U.S., have encountered severe targeting issues in the face of Russian electronic warfare.
Senior Pentagon officials have quietly acknowledged that advanced weaponry, such as the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), has also underperformed due to Russian interference.
Pentagon procurement chief Bill LaPlante admitted that GLSDBs often fail to hit their targets when launched by Ukraine.
“If you send something [a weapon system] into a life-and-death battle and it doesn’t work, they [the Ukrainian forces] will discard it,” he noted.
Boeing, the developer of GLSDB, has stated it will collaborate with the Pentagon to enhance the weapon’s performance.
The GLSDB, designed to strike targets up to 144 kilometers away—double the range of GMLRS—was approved for delivery to Ukraine in February 2023.
Reports indicate that Ukraine began deploying the system earlier last year.
GLSDBs rely on a combination of GPS and Inertial Navigation Systems for precision targeting. Each GLSDB is estimated to cost $40,000 (RM190,000). –DSA
