Russian forces are upgrading the inertial navigation systems used in Shahed-type strike drones in an effort to reduce the effectiveness of Ukrainian electronic warfare systems, according to Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, a freelance adviser to the President of Ukraine.
“We should not assume that all jet-powered Shaheds attacking Kyiv are operating under real-time control. Some attacks rely on traditional satellite navigation systems. To minimise the impact of electronic warfare, Russia upgraded the inertial navigation system on Shahed drones several weeks ago,” Beskrestnov said.
He added that Ukraine expects Shahed drones to begin using 20-element CRPA antennas instead of the current 16-element systems this month.
According to Beskrestnov, further upgrades are already planned. Russia’s Progress research institute is expected to begin producing 24-element antennas in 2027.
He stressed that Russia is systematically working to modernise Shahed drones across multiple areas.
Beskrestnov also noted that Banderol and Dan-T cruise missiles, on which Russia is increasingly relying, do not have real-time control systems and instead use satellite and inertial navigation.
“One of the ways we can counter these missiles is through electronic warfare,” he said.
