Why does China use signal jammers?
The signal jammer is intended to counter commercial multirotor and small fixed-wing UAVs by blasting electromagnetic noise at aerial targets. The jammer can disrupt satellite navigation signals – GLONASS and GPS systems – as well as radio frequencies (RF) communications in the 1,570-1610 MHz, 2.4-2.483 GHz, and 5.725-5.85 GHz wavelengths.
The jammer is designed to target non-assigned public frequencies, meaning that the system will not interfere with manned aircraft or other dedicated radio bands.
The jamming signal has been traced to be sourced from Chinasat 6B within the China National Radio (CNR) satellite feed circuits.The satellite relays the jamming music to ground transmitters across China to then transmit on the same frequencies as radio stations that China sees as unfavorable, including (but not limited to) Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and the BBC World Service, as well as stations based in Taiwan.
How to counter China's jamming weapons?
Harris Corporation has been awarded a USD212 million contract modification to supply the next production lot of electronic jammers to protect US Navy (USN) and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet combat aircraft against electronic threats. The order, which was receivedBeijing sent H-6 bombers, Y-8 electronic intelligence aircraft and Y-8 jammer aircraft to conduct long-range drills in the island’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ), Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Friday.
Northrop Grumman is also applying advanced EW technologies to build next-generation systems for protecting troops on the ground from device-triggered IEDs. As the prime contractor for JCREW – the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (JCREW) Increment 1 Block 1 – the company is providing software-programmable jammers that protect warfighters in vehicles, on patrol or in forward operating bases from RCIEDs.
The A-10 carries a full complement of weapons to include Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAM GPS-guided bombs; its arsenal includes GBU 38s, GBU 31s, GBU 54s, Mk 82s, Mk 84s, AGM-65s (Maverick missiles), AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and rockets along with illumination flares, jammer pods and other protective countermeasures. The aircraft can carry 16,000 pounds of mixed ordnance; eight can fly under the wings and three under-fuselage pylon station, Air Force statements said.