Russia finds a devastatingly simple way to make killer drones evade Ukrainian EW — doubles antennas to 32 and orders 100,000 units
Russia orders more than 100,000 Kometa navigation modules
by https://www.techradar.com/author/efosa-udinmwen · TechRadarNews By Efosa Udinmwen Published 10 November 2026 3 min read
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- Russia is adding antenna elements to its drones to resist jamming
- Russia already uses 16-element versions and is preparing production of 20-element ones
- Ukrainian specialists found 32-element antennas on Shahed drones during attacks on Kyiv
Russia is increasing the number of antenna elements fitted to its attack drones, making their satellite navigation systems more resistant to Ukrainian electronic warfare.
The upgrade complicates efforts to disrupt incoming weapons by interfering with the satellite signals they depend upon for navigation.
The navigation equipment, known as Kometa, produced by VNIIR-Progress, uses multiple receiving elements to maintain satellite connections when opposing forces transmit interference.
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Russia increases antenna capacity as Ukrainian jamming becomes less effective
These components, commonly called patch antennas, help distinguish legitimate navigation signals from electronic interference, allowing drones to retain their intended flight paths.
Russia has already deployed versions containing 16 elements and is preparing manufacturing capacity for configurations containing 20 receiving elements.
However, Ukrainian specialists claim to have also identified Shahed attack drones carrying considerably larger 32-element arrangements during attacks against Kyiv.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an electronic warfare specialist advising President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on defense technology, explained how additional elements improve resistance against interference.
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