Russia has installed a new type of satellite navigation antennas on "Shaheds": what this means and the danger it poses

During the drone attack this night, the Russians used a different type of CRPA satellite navigation antenna on the "Shaheds."

This was reported by military specialist in EW (electronic warfare) systems and communications, head of the "Radio Technologies Center" Serhii Beskrestnov, call sign "Flash."

According to him, Ukrainians have seen such antennas on Russian drones before, but this time, it is likely that they were installed on all "Shaheds."

The expert explains that this element is key in the "Shahed" as it ensures the drone's ability to hit the target under the conditions of Ukrainian EW operations. "Flash" noted that previously, Russia had used Iranian analogs and its own "Kometa" antenna on the "Shaheds". This time, the enemy used Chinese-made antennas. There is an inscription in Chinese and English on the antenna, stating that it is a "part for agriculture."

"It is difficult to say at the moment what caused this replacement: lower cost of the Chinese alternative, shortage of Iranian components, or insufficient protection provided by the Russian "Kometa" antenna. One possible option is the impact of sanctions and difficulties in producing "Kometas," but then we would see replacements in the guided aerial bombs, which also use this antenna," Serhii Beskrestnov warned.

As explained by "Militarnyi," a CRPA antenna is a special GNSS navigation antenna that can ensure precise positioning of a drone even in conditions where the enemy is using active electronic warfare.

Such antennas detect false radioelectronic signals and help ignore them. As a result, enemy EW has no impact on the drone's navigation, and it reaches its target accurately.

In particular, Russian CRPA antennas "Kometa" have previously been found on Iranian Shahed-136 drones, Russian "Orlan-10" reconnaissance drones, SuperCam, and others.

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