Molniya Drones Use Compasses to Defeat GPS Jamming
Russian troops are fitting Molniya kamikaze drones with low-cost compasses to maintain course when electronic warfare disrupts satellite navigation signals.
Russian servicemen have begun attaching ordinary compasses to Molniya kamikaze drones to help the aircraft maintain direction when exposed to electronic interference. According to the US outlet 19FortyFive, the modification costs only a few dollars.
Ukrainian sources reported finding a compass fixed directly to the body of a Molniya drone used in an attack on Ukrainian military positions.
The system is believed to work through the drone’s existing camera. During flight, the camera can periodically point downward, allowing the operator to check the compass reading and adjust the aircraft’s course.
Modern unmanned aerial vehicles typically rely on satellite navigation. Electronic warfare systems are widely used in combat zones to disrupt such drones by jamming or spoofing navigation signals.
Installing a basic compass can partly reduce the impact of those systems and allow the operator to continue guiding the drone even when satellite communication is disrupted.
19FortyFive noted that combining one of the oldest navigation tools with a camera already installed on the UAV creates an extremely cheap solution. It requires no additional electronics that could be jammed and gives the Molniya the ability to hold its course.
Media reports recently said Russian developers had also created a new version of the Molniya UAV controlled through a fiber-optic cable.