The Russian EW system “Volna Kupol Garant” has an operating range of only up to 2.5 km and jams one Starlink satellite, out of 10,000 in orbit
The use of Starlink satellite communication by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, which is now once again unavailable to the enemy, has long been one of the key problems for the rashists, which they are trying to combat with all their might.
One of the means has become the EW system “Volna Kupol Garant” from the enterprise “Rossiyskiy Kupol,” operating in currently occupied Crimea. Advisor to the Minister of Defense Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov spoke about it in detail.
The idea of the “Volna Kupol Garant” system is to “jam” Starlink satellite channels with powerful interference. However, it requires a fairly accurate tracking system for each satellite that needs to be jammed and high power output from the complex. Coupled with Russian corruption, this has led to the price of “Volna Kupol Garant” being $1.5 million per unit.
“Technically, a Starlink satellite receives signals from terminals in the 14-14.5 GHz range. This range is divided into 8 channels, each 62.5 MHz wide. The Russians have, in effect, taken 8 satellite ‘dishes,’ pointed them at the satellite, and each dish transmits interference on its own channel.”
In addition, the complex is quite bulky and is usually mounted on six trailers, which house dish antennas under radio-transparent domes. Furthermore, due to the need for a powerful electricity source, it requires appropriate infrastructure.
Another drawback of the “Volna Kupol Garant” complex is that it can only suppress one Starlink satellite. It also has a limited effect, ensuring the absence of satellite communication in an area of about 20 square kilometers. This means the coverage area has a radius of only about 2.5 km.
It is worth noting that the Starlink constellation currently consists of over 10,000 active satellites, and several dozen satellites can be in stable communication range with a terminal at any given time, replacing each other every few minutes as they move further along their orbit. Each of these satellites covers an area on Earth with a radius of about 1000 km.
This is precisely why Serhiy “Flash” notes that the very fact that the “Volna Kupol Garant” is being purchased by the rashists for $1.5 million per complex is spectacular.