Are you afraid of being watched on your cell phone? The Russians’ superweapon will make your worst nightmares come true

The Russian “super weapon” uses your mobile phone against you

After a month-long war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian peacekeepers began their work in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Many experts who saw the events drew the attention of a seemingly harmless Kamazon “encased” with one of the world’s most modern electronic warfare systems hidden behind it.

Named the “Read-3” system, the RB-341V is a nightmare for those who think that their cell phone is actually a weapon that can be used against them at any time.

In addition to the computer system carried by the Kamaz, the complex consists of 1-3 Orlan-10 drones and a basic drone, which requires 4-5 people to operate. The system essentially functions as a “dummy GSM tower”, the Orlan-10 drone producing a stronger signal than terrestrial telecommunication towers, so phones in the area automatically connect to them. An electronic warfare system not only collects information about users without our knowledge, it can also attack their communications equipment.

A Read-3-as

• Within a radius of 6 kilometers inside you can measure the exact location of any cell phone and project it onto a digital map so that they can determine, for example, the exact number, location and tracking of an enemy unit,
• you are disturbed can block communication of up to 2000 phones at a time,
• can send messages to users’ telecommunications devices, thus interrupting the communication and coordination of the selected team,
• According to Aerotech sources, the complex can also “search” the memory of mobile phones and thus recover sensitive data from the system.
• And according to Polish intelligence sources, the Leer-3 system can even take control of an American drone (by the way, the Russians also have a completely separate electronic warfare system for this purpose).

Although the system is basically designed for mobile phones using the GSM network, The systematized models from 2017 can also connect to 3G and 4G networks.

Demoralizes and confuses

Nagorno-Karabakh is not the first conflict zone where the Russians deployed the Read-3 electronic tactical system, first introduced in 2015.

Shortly after the systematization of the complexes, the Leer-3 detected in conflict zones controlled by Ukrainian separatists OSCE observers also allegedly disrupted the organization’s drones by the Russians while monitoring the conflict zone. Additionally, communications from the Ukrainian armed forces were disrupted by threatening messages from the Leer-3s and several Orlan-1 drones used by the system were shot down by the Ukrainians over Donbass.

By the way, the presence in Ukraine clearly shows how it is such a system has a demoralizing and disturbing effect on the battlefield:

• During the 2015 battle in Debalceve, for example, soldiers serving in the region received a message, apparently from another Ukrainian squad, that the command was deserted and that they will do the same.
• In another circular message, the Russians wrote, also on behalf of the Ukrainian soldiers, that the insurgents stationed in the region had completely destroyed the National Guard troops, so it was time to flee.
• And once, on behalf of the Kiev government, they sent an SMS to the Ukrainian soldiers, thanking them for donating all their savings to the fight against terrorism.
• In addition, according to Business Insider sources, there was a case in which the Russians aided the separatist artillery by sending a message to the relatives of the Ukrainian soldiers that a relative had fallen on the front lines, and then concerned family members called soldiers. who were fighting at the front. The signals from the phones were measured with a Read-3 and they were able to give the exact coordinates of the Separatist artillery to the Ukrainian positions.

The attack REFERRED course PROBABLY NOT ALL ABOVE merely READ-3-FRUIT USING has been made to the Russians (the scope is NOT JUST BECAUSE the systems are relatively limited), BASE BUT IT WELL SEEMS DANGEROUS also increased the COUNTRY’S ELECTRONIC tactical skills .

The video cover image below shows a Krashu system, not a Read-3.

By the way, the complex has already appeared in Syria, but much less information about its activities is available here. According to Russian state communications, the system had a “humanitarian” purpose and facilitated “SMS communication” in the region. Serving in Syria American soldiers, on the other hand, reported that the Russians regularly disrupted their communication systems and drones.

In Nagorno-Karabakh, the Leer-3s have joined a peacekeeping mission in the capital, Stepanakert, and little is known about their exact mission here, other than the fact that, according to Russian communications, they will serve purposes “humanitarian” similar to the Syrian experience.

The Read-3 anyway by no means the only new Russian electronic warfare system, which has been introduced in recent years. Each one specializes in a different purpose:

• a Kraszuha-2 and 4 radar systems, satellites, To disrupt AWACS and missile systems They are suitable,
• a Repellent-1-en systems specifically to neutralize drones to serve
• and a project called “Bylina” is in the pilot phase, which Using artificial intelligence, it would combine all of the above skills.

Of course, this is all just the tip of the iceberg, most Western experts believe that the knowledge gained about the development of Russian electronic warfare capabilities will only scratch the surface and several projects are being developed that are significantly more modern than these. systems. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, around 450 electronic warfare projects are currently underway in the country.

What can NATO show?

After the cold war NATO, led by the United States, has focused on developing more defensive electronic warfare systems., such as those that can protect American soldiers from improvised explosive devices. Many of these explosive devices have been operated by insurgents, for example using mobile phones, so interference with mobile networks may prevent them from working in some cases.

Furthermore, even during the military intervention in Libya, it was used by the United States in greater numbers. Growler EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft with which Libyan air defense radars were tampered with.

More intensely, however, the United States also relied on electronic warfare capabilities development just by seeing the lessons of the Syrian-Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

According to some opinions, due to late recognition, the American side is significantly behind Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities,

William Conley, deputy director of the electronic warfare division of the United States Department of Defense, said

We have neglected electronic warfare for 25 years, now it takes another 25 years to resolve our disadvantage.

However, in recent years NATO began to develop its electronic warfare capabilities with steam power., just to name a few of these projects:

• in the United States Army has ended 100 EA-18G Growler service service, regularized the type Australia and Germany recently announced the purchase of 15 Growlers,
• the United States began MQ-1C Gray Eagle drónjait equip with electronic warfare capsules,
• started a project Earth Layer System (TLS) called the development of an onboard electronic warfare system capable of detecting and interfering with enemy communications and detecting and neutralizing improvised explosive devices. Lockheed Martin and Boeing are competing on the project, with the first mass-produced devices expected to be completed by 2023.

Top image: Russian electronic tactical system from the inside. The exact type is not mentioned in the image, the photo was taken in exercise 2016, but depending on the design it could be a Leer-3 or Kraszuha-2 system. Photo: Getty Images