Pentagon report. New American weapon fails against Russian electronic warfare
The Pentagon report from May 1 reveals that the weapon recently developed with Ukraine in mind is ceasing to function on the battlefield – reports the Bulgarian Military portal. American weapons are becoming defenceless against Russian electronic warfare systems.
The Pentagon report describes a weapon that struggles with Russian electronic warfare systems but does not specify its name. It is referred to as a precision armament adapted to the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces. Additionally, Bill LaPlante, one of the Pentagon officials, conceded at an event that the ground-launched version of this weapon was a failure.
A specialist points out which weapon could be problematic
The Pentagon does not officially state which weapon designed with Ukraine in mind failed at the front. However, some experts, including Hudson Institute research fellow Brian Clark, share their suspicions. He believes the weapon discussed in the American report could be the GLSDB, a modern design funded last year and appeared on the front in Ukraine in the first months of 2024.
It's worth noting that the GLSDB is a weapon not even the USA has. It was created with Ukraine in mind and was supposed to "significantly increase Ukraine's potential" according to the Americans. The missiles have a range of about 150 km when launched from the ground, almost twice as much as the GMLRS, which the Ukrainians have long been using. Compared to the older weapon, the experimental ammunition for Ukraine is also characterized by greater accuracy and overall greater power. The accuracy of a few dozen centimetres means that the army of defenders can conduct precise attacks deep into enemy territory using the GLSDB.
The problem, however, is that resistance to all electronic warfare systems is necessary to conduct accurate and effective attacks. Clark speculates that GLSDB may have a problem with this. The nearly 4-metre-long missiles weighing almost 300 kg (of which the warhead accounts for about 93 kg) may become defenceless against tools used by the Russians.
Analysts from the Bulgarian military have previously discussed the effectiveness of electronic warfare systems in the Russian Federation's arsenal. They emphasized their "tremendous effectiveness" in the context of the Russian Pole-21 system, which has proven to immobilize, among other things, the guided missiles M982 Excalibur.
The Pole-21, which entered service in 2019, can emit a jamming signal with a power of 300 to 1000 watts. The system disrupts satellite communication and the Starlink communication network. As a result, the Russians can effectively disable mobile communication and hinder radio communication. This, in turn, means that rockets—like the mentioned GLSDB—and popular front-line drones often become defenceless.
