The terrorists used Russian drone jammers, and Russia’s advanced jamming and electronic warfare capabilities are well known. The conflict in eastern Ukraine involved the use of Russian capabilities and aid to Russian-backed separatists. The Ukrainian Armed Forces provided the US Army with a unique perspective to examine Russian capabilities.
The function of a wireless jammer is to deliberately block or interfere, essentially “blocking” the wireless signal to interrupt the communication between the sending device and the receiving device (ie, remote control and drone). Traditionally, blockades have been used to disrupt enemy communications on the battlefield. The jammer will emit noise at the same frequency, essentially overwhelming the receiver’s ability to understand the message being sent.
In some countries, wireless jammers are used as sensor devices to prevent harmful radio signals from neighboring countries from being received by their citizens. Drone jamming devices are designed to interrupt signals in the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz range, which will interrupt most home WiFi systems, Bluetooth devices and drones operating at 2.4GHz.
Over the past year, there have been many anti-drone technologies that use lasers based on “radio-controlled frequency interruption” or “UAS directed energy countermeasures.” The latter method is being developed and promoted by the Applied Science and Technology Laboratory. The more popular drone gun jammer is one of its inventions.