The Krasukha is a mobile electronic warfare (EW) system designed to counter airborne and space-based radar systems from the ground. It effectively jams a wide range of signals, particularly those from airborne radio-electronics such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other airborne systems, including radar-guided missiles.
Manufactured by Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET), a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned defence company Rostec, the system can be mounted on diverse wheeled platforms and is operated by the Russian armed forces.
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Details of the Krasukha electronic warfare system
The Krasukha is a family of radar jamming complexes, comprising the 1L269 Krasukha-2 and the 1RL257 Krasukha-4.
The systems are employed by independent EW brigades to disrupt the operation of airborne radars, specifically targeting those that operate within the 1GHz to 18GHz wavebands.
The 1RL257 Krasukha-4, for instance, can jam satellite communication (SATCOM) frequencies in the X-band (7.9GHz to 8.4GHz), Ku-band (10.9GHz to 14GHz), and Ka-band (18GHz to 40GHz).
Krasukha-2 electronic countermeasure system
The Krasukha-2, an S-band system, is designed to disrupt the radar capabilities of airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft such as the Boeing E-3 Sentry, within a range of 250km (160 miles).
Additionally, the Krasukha-2 possesses the capability to interfere with other airborne radars, including those used for radar-guided missiles. It protects mobile targets, including the 9K720 Iskander short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), from radar detection.
Krasukha-2 electronic warfare system operations
The Krasukha-2 system identifies signal types and deploys potent intelligent jamming radiation to disrupt enemy radar, rendering the enemy aircraft unable to detect targets or to deploy high-precision weapons effectively.
As a result, enemy aircraft are forced to exit the airspace under the influence of the electronic warfare system and abandon their combat missions.
The Krasukha-2 mobile complex provides coverage of command posts, troop formations, and air defence systems, significantly enhancing the survivability of troops and safeguarding critical industrial and administrative-political facilities in the country from precise weapon attacks, including guided missiles and bombs.
Krasukha-4 electronic warfare system details
The state-of-the-art Krasukha-4 is a broadband multifunctional jamming station mounted on a BAZ-6910-022 four-axle-chassis. It operates in strategically significant regions where adversaries’ reconnaissance aircraft and spy satellites are notably active.
It can disrupt the radar systems of enemy strike and reconnaissance aircraft, UAVs, and low-orbit satellites. It can also track Nato aircraft and target ground radars.
The broadband interference capabilities of the Krasukha-4 station are adept at countering modern radar systems found in contemporary aircraft, including those operating at low altitudes.
Its advanced technology can significantly disrupt the onboard systems of targeted aircraft, forcing them to rise and become vulnerable to Russian air defences.
The Krasukha-4 jamming system can disrupt signals for aircraft and drones within an effective radius of 300km (186 miles).
Krasukha EW system applications
Russian Krasukha-2s were spotted in Donetsk as part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) in July 2018.
In a June 2022 special military operation, the Krasukha-4, operated by a team from Russia’s Central Military District, conducted a comprehensive scan of the airspace to safeguard the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. It could identify and classify aerial targets, notably neutralising the onboard radar of Ukrainian reconnaissance UAVs during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The Krasukha-4 jamming system was also deployed in Syria, where it effectively disrupted the communications and sensor capabilities of the US and coalition forces.
Orders and deliveries
Rosoboronexport, a subsidiary of Rostec, signed the first contract for the Krasukha EW system at the Army 2021 International Military-Technical Forum in August 2021.
Several South-East Asian countries placed orders for the EW system in August 2023.
