Krasukha-4 jamming system present at Latakia

"The Krasukha-4 broadband multifunctional jamming station is mounted on a BAZ-6910-022 four-axle-chassis. Like the Krasukha-2, the Krasukha-4 counters AWACS and other air borne radar systems. The Krasukha-4 has the range for effectively disrupting low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and can cause permanent damage to targeted radio-electronic devices. Ground based radars are also a viable target for the Krasukha-4. 

wiki

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We were informed of this development by our friend "b."  I consulted Basilisk who is generally knowledgeable of such equipment.  This is a new piece of kit (2014).  Basilisk surmises that it is probably part of the equipment package for a deployed Russian Air Force regiment like the one now in Syria.  It has a slant range of 400 km. 

I wonder if this thing came by air or ship.

This is a game changer among all the other Russian game changers.  Perhaps someone can inform us if this thing would be effective against GPS guided cruise missiles.  Perhaps against the supporting satellite systems?

In any case Putin is creating his own no fly zone in Syria.  I still think that defense of the Russian base complex will require a substantial ground force.  If that is not created the Russians are likely to find the Army of Conquest sitting in their laps.  pl 

https://twitter.com/KURYERSAT/status/650945667729354752

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krasukha_EW_System 

Comments

[oofda]

More from RT:

The Krasukha-4 is able to effectively shield objects on the ground against radio-locating surveillance satellites, ground-based radars, or aircraft-installed Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), a source with knowledge of the system told Izvestiya.

The protective jamming shield may span up to a 300-kilometer radius, he said.

Moreover, interference caused by Krasukha-4 will render radio-controlled missile attacks ineffective. The system has been designed to counter attacks from enemies possessing advanced technologies, the source added.

More specifically, the new Russian system has been described as a tool against “flying radars,” such as the USAF E-8 Joint STARS aircraft, or reconnaissance satellites - like the United States’ Lacrosse satellite - and a means of protection against surveillance and combat unmanned aerial vehicles, otherwise known as drones.

Media sources named the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk and the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator as drones which Krasukha-4 could guard ground objects and troops against.

[b]

"I still think that defense of the Russian base complex will require a substantial ground force."

Last reports said there are 1,250 Russian marines on the ground. Their task is base protection. Additionally parts of an airborne division were recently filmed in Crimea wearing desert camouflage plus vehicles in desert camo. Also, if I remember correctly, some two(?) years ago there was news of an air deployment exercise of a complete air-defense brigade.

The Krasukha-4 is not the only EW asset the Russians have in Syria. The two(?) Il-20 will also have some capabilities as do the new S-30 fighters. The Moskva will also carry some interesting EW stuff.

All this is why I found that Saudi CNN op-ed so funny. They may have lots of air-frames but in Syria they would meat a really capable enemy and run into a wall of hurt.

The Russian have all their ducks in a row (plus some surprises). They are quite good at this.

[bth]

think anti-UAV

[Tyler]

I wonder if they have HA, Iranian, or Syrian Alawites performing security ops.

Ramzam Kadyrov (imagine Russia's own Joe Biden, but on some sort of super steroids and fond of gold plated AKs) wants President Putin to send Chechens into Syria to fight IS. That'd be an interesting sight, since the local Arabs seem to give Chechens a wide berth.

[b]

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/05/politics/russia-ground-campaign-syria-isis/
U.S. sees Russia readying ground campaign in Syria

/quote/
The latest U.S. assessment of Moscow's activity in western Syria indicates Russia has moved several ground combat weapons and troops into the area to potentially back up Syrian forces in the field planning to attack anti-regime forces, according to two U.S. defense officials.
...
The equipment includes several piece of artillery, as well as four BM-30 multiple-launch rocket systems -- all considered to be highly accurate weapons. The latter is capable of rapid-fire rocket launches.
...
The weapons have been spotted between Homs and Idlib and west of Idlib.
/endquote/

Ahhh - Russian style mass artillery attacks. Remember how those Ukrainian brigades got slaughtered when the Russian pulled out their big MLRS? With all the serious reconnaissance equipment the Russian now have in the field any massing of anti-Syrian forces is now clearly out of question.

/quote/
The officials also said that Russia has moved electronic jamming equipment into Syria. Both a truck-mounted system and a number of pods that can go on aircraft have been observed. This could potentially give the Russians the ability to jam electronics of coalition aircraft.
/endquote/

"potentially give the ability" oh really? "Potentially"?

[b]

Russia "offered" to send some additional Tu-22M3 Backfire for the fight against ISIS.

A long range strike bomber probably more good for mass bombing that pinpoint shortrange ground attack. It could of course be used to give some over the horizon ground capabilities with Kh-15 air-ground missiles with 300km reach.

Is that another "message"?

[turcopolier]

b

I know a bit about defending things against guerrillas. It takes a lot of assets; enough mobile infantry to push them back and then counter-battery radar to use on the ones you don't manage to keep back. Then, you need artillery to fire on the firing positions the radar detected. Some armed helicopters would be nice. This is all a considerable undertaking. If, in addition to that you wish to participate in ground offensives ops along with SAA/Hizbullah/IRGC then you must have additional force not dedicated to the base defense force. All in all we are talkin several thousand men with their equipment over and above what they have there now. pl

[b]

@Pat - from the many RT videos of the base one can see that Mi-24 are regularly patrolling the wider perimeter of the base. There are some 20 helos available. Also the population in a wide area around the base is friendly and has militia in the streets. There are roadblocks on every street into the wider area. Artillery is available on the ground and from ships. Ahrar or someone else tried to send some rockets towards the base. Their firing positions were obliterated.

Some small infiltration might get through but no mass attack. If that changes Russia will surely reinforce within some 24 hours.

The bigger danger for now is the Israelis, Turks or the U.S. doing something really stupid. Israel already got its message. The Turks got theirs today.

[confusedponderer]

Try this: What about loading the Tu-22M3 up with GPS guided bombs and deliver a massive no-warning muliti-target precision strike in one pass from standoff ranges.

The thing isn't stealth but the capability is IMO the truly awesome thing about the modern conventional capabilities of US heavy bombers. They can attack in one go a multitude of targets that once required the effort of half a fighter wing.

[AbuAbdullah]

About the Russians finding JF in their laps, I truly believe that this is the most likely outcome in the next year. I do not see either Turkey or SA/GCC backing down in the support of the involved militant groups, and I certainly don't see the USA intervening to prevent the radical ratcheting up of materiel support that is sure to come with this escalation. IMO Russia is only in Syria to pour cement in the building up of Alawite Israel 2.0 centered on Latakia and Hama. I don't even think the Lion of Damascus himself seriously thinks he can hold on to Damascus anymore in the near-long term

[Tyler]

I wonder how many analysts are going back to the drawing boards with what the Russian military capability actually is. How much do you want to bet that someone in the US is going to try and twerk the nose of that bad ass ECM suite (if they haven't already) and got kicked in the balls for it?Something like that is THE reason drones will never replaced manned aircraft.

As I've stated before, modern US military doctrine is an unwieldy tripod of:

- CAS
- Drones
- Commandos

So far Russia has just kicked two out from under the stool. The US military got tunnel vision fighting 4GW, and now the day has come when we're facing a First World army and our pants are down.

[gemini33]

Just saw a Michael Flynn interview on RT today. Very rational. The RT guy was annoying as heck but it's a fairly substantial interview, 17 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r4-avi8LyU

[Tyler]

AA,

STRONG disagreement. Pouring money and arms into an area means nothing if other circumstances aren't right, and in Syria they are not right anymore. Infiltrators are going to face layered resistance and likely get caught well before they make it anywhere of value (there will be no Camp Bastion repeats).

Any sort of actual column that is stupid enough to try and approach the base is going to bog down in the face of combined arms before its chewed up by Russian air power.

The IS style of combat that works really good against disorganized, demoralized militias (car bombs followed by infantry assaults and sniper attacks) is going to get a lot of their troops killed by the Russians if they're stupid enough to try it. I wonder if IS knows this.

[gemini33]

Didn't know Spain had PATRIOT battery in Turkey. Their defense minister in joint press conf w/ Ash Carter flounders when asked about Russia violating Turkey's airspace. Says their battery has been deployed to protect Turkey from missiles from Syria. Carter says he hopes Spain will keep it in place.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/621881/secretary-of-defense-ash-carter-and-spanish-minister-of-defense-d-pedro-morenes

[Will]

wonder how the escalation ladder plays and who controls it b/n Obama & Putin in this Syria scenario:

1. Nato puts Patriot missles on the turkish/syrian border. Their radars paint the Syrian Air Force and creates a choatic border which is used to supply the Jihadists.

2. Erdogan and US R2p'rs and NeoKons start talking more about NFZ

3. Putin sets up his own NFZ and does more damage to Daesh in three days than Obama has in years. Things get so bad in Rafqqa that they're told not to congregate in the mosques for friday prayers.

4. Obama comes back by stepping up airstrikes, along with his poodles Cameron and Hollande. There is also talk of setting up safety zones, and refugee camps in Syria on the Turkish border. This serves the purpose of Erdogan's supply lines to the Jihadists remaining open.

5. Putin rebuts by floating that loyal Russian Chechens and other volunteers may be coming into the Syrian theater.

6. Russian jet goes into Turkish air space (that used to be part of Syria and peopled by Alavites, Turkish quasi Alawites) to get them to turn on their radars and gain electronic intelligence. Everybody does this, but the US and Turks howl.

Putin would like to clear Syrian air space of those actors not having the sovereign government's permission. The U.S. coalition will increase their so called bombing of Daesh to keep the airspace open. Who could object to bombing ISIS?

move and countermove. both Putin and Obama are invested.

Who controls the escalation ladder, and where will it end.
Both sides will use tactical nukes to keep from losing a conventional battle, and afterward large parts of North America and Eurasia will glow in the dark.

Aside from Donald Trump and Rand Paul there is little appreciation of this. Very Sad.

Unanswered questions:
1. Why were the Patriot missiles w/drawn from Turkey?
2. Is this drama all of a pre-agreed plan and the hysterics just Kabuki theater?
3. How was Daesh (IS) able to move those white pickup Toyotas in convoy in the desert w/o getting bombed?
4. And as one commentator here asked "Who was their vehicle dealer?"
5. Have the Russians done more damage to IS in a few days that the U.S. coalition in a couple of years? (So the FortRuss site claims) And if so, why?
6. What happens in the Turkish election Nov. 1, and what rabbit will Erdogan pull out of a hat to assure a majority for his party?

[Tyler]

Will,

The Russians are claiming there's been no bombing of IS at all - this makes sense in light of other things that have been posted about US air assets returning to base with full armaments, how IS still controls its battlespace as if its not worried about being bombed, etc. I imagine the "stepping up" of bombing means absolutely nothing, to be honest. The media will report what they are told. I doubt anyone really knows what is going on other than the people on the ground, but I trust the sources here more than I trust the MSM or Radio Free Whatever.

[Neil R]

Col. Lang,

Why couldn't the IAF counter with HARMs against jammers? Although this would add another variable to strike planning process, I'm not sure if it's not something that cannot be worked out. If the Israelis were willing to kill Russians, they'd have already crossed the Rubicon and this merely becomes a tactical problem-solving.

[turcopolier]

Neil R
I'm not a tech man, but could this jammer fry the HARM's brain? pl

[user1234]

If one were out to destroy such a jammer, target it with a laser pointed by a grunt, and bypass the question entirely.

[turcopolier]

user1234

Talk is cheap. Are you volunteering? pl

[Neil R]

Dear Col. Lang,

I do not know if Krasukha-4 uses brute force jamming. Given the stated range, I would assume the power requirement would be more substantial than what a mobile platform would be able to transport in order to survive. I thought the system might be using digital radio frequency memory to spoof false targets. I think the cost of HARMs per target might be the issue rather than these systems presenting an insurmountable technical obstacle.

[user1234]

[note! - non expert here]

Very interesting stuff!

Depending on the purpose of your airborne radar, fly it low to the ground, bellow jammer's horizon? Useless for defense that way, but perhaps enough to defend ground attack aircraft?

[user1234]

haha no way!

[crone]

"The Hilux, a pickup truck Toyota has built since the late 1960s, isn’t available in the US, but it’s popular around the globe, including with insurgent groups such as the Taliban, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and now ISIS.

In April the US State Department resumed sending non-lethal aid to Syrian rebels recently and the delivery included 43 Toyota trucks."

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/09/isis-army-parades-in-43-new-toyota-hilux-trucks-donated-by-us-taxpayers/

http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-04-01/one-toyota-pickup-truck-top-shopping-list-free-syrian-army-and-taliban

US State Dept provided them at taxpayers' expense of course.

ISIS™ Drives Texas-made Toyota Trucks Apparently Modified for U.S. Special Forces

Snip

"“We’ve got Iraqi army battalions driving around in Toyota trucks,” General McCaffrey, 2007" http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/washington/30general.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

"This you have to see to believe: the now iconic white Toyota trucks we see ISIS™ driving around look scarily familiar to ones purchased here in the states and outfitted by special forces which puts to rest the notion that ISIS™ simply ran up to a dealership in Iraq and made off with 30 or so vehicles. They aren’t even SOLD in Iraq and certainly not with these modifications. At least not as an entire fleet."

https://willyloman.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/isis-drives-texas-made-toyota-trucks-apparently-modified-by-special-forces/

http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/story/1458631-the-special-forces-wish-list

[SAC Brat]

Does anyone use a single transmitter on a tracking site anymore? With several transmitters and knowing when/where the signal was sent to integrate with the radar return, what is the anti-radiation missile going to home in on? Also the transmission signal frequency can be rolled or stepped.

See also check out this smart AA commander, a guy who really did his homework sixteen years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolt%C3%A1n_Dani