How Ukraine’s Defense System Makes Drones Think They’re Over Peru
A trip redirected to Lima
A vehicle heading toward antennas near Kyiv abruptly pulled over after its driver’s GPS stopped working properly. The navigation system placed the S.U.V. in Lima, Peru, 7,628 miles southwest of Kyiv.
Serhii, a spokesman for Cascade Systems, apologized by text for the technical problems. He asked to be identified only by his first name because of safety concerns.
Disrupting incoming weapons
Cascade Systems, a Ukrainian defense company, built the system to scramble signals used by Russian drones and missiles. Its antennas transmit electromagnetic interference intended to confuse the weapons about where they are.
The system is called Lima, a name tied to the city that GPS devices often display when the antennas are active. The interference can affect phones and cars as well as the weapons it is meant to mislead.
An unintended effect
Ukrainians encounter the Lima readings regularly when the antennas are switched on to misdirect Russian attacks. In this instance, the navigation problem affected people involved in the system’s development, too.
The episode left the team relying on the same equipment that can distort GPS signals. The report describes them as having been caught up in the mapping disruption their antennas create.
Key points
- Cascade Systems built the antennas to scramble signals used by Russian drones and missiles.
- When active, the system can make nearby GPS devices show Lima, Peru.
- A vehicle near Kyiv was shown as being 7,628 miles away in Lima.
- The system is named Lima after the city that GPS devices often display.