Russia’s Electronic Warfare Impact on Modern Combat and Drone Strategies

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The Russian military has effectively countered many high‑tech Western weapons through electronic warfare, a topic highlighted by a Polish publication focused on contemporary defense politics.

It argues that electronic warfare holds a pivotal role in modern combat, capable of rendering enemy systems unusable and preventing decisive strikes. The analysis notes that several weapon platforms can be rendered inoperative, underscoring a battlefield reality where success hinges on command and control resilience as much as on firepower.

The report contends that Russian forces have adopted jamming technologies that disrupt the management of Ukrainian drones, suppress radio communications, degrade GPS signals, and obscure radar signals from anti‑aircraft installations. In effect, this creates conditions where Ukrainian forces face a return to more rudimentary means of pursuit and engagement, with the implication that modern networks can be sidelined by effective EW measures.

The publication observes that wartime testing of Russian developments against NATO‑designed systems has led to improvements and adaptations aimed at reducing the reliability of allied capabilities. This ongoing process is described as a feedback loop where lessons from deployments feed faster iteration and optimization of counter‑system measures.

On January 22, statements from a senior Ukrainian commander suggested that Russian EW platforms are capable of suppressing Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, with plans mentioned to scale up production. The report hints at a strategic shift toward broader deployment, while noting that the practical value of such systems depends on sustained logistical and political support during sustained operations.

The discussion also touches on forecasted production trajectories in 2024, noting substantial ambitions for unmanned platforms, including FPV reconnaissance and strike drones, alongside a large fleet of medium and long‑range attack drones. The overall narrative emphasizes the weight of EW in shaping the tempo and outcome of modern campaigns, where sensor denial and communications disruption can alter the calculus of risk and reward for both sides.

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