Why ballistic weapons and guided aerial bombs are harder to jam than drones: explanation from an EW developer

Ballistic and aeroballistic missiles and jet-powered UAVs are a much bigger problem than ordinary drones, because it is more difficult for EW systems to affect them due to their much higher flight altitude.

Why it is harder to target ballistic missiles with EW According to Timofiy Yurkov, co‑founder of the EW manufacturer Contra‑Drone, ballistic missiles can also be affected by EW because they initially use GNSS for targeting. At the same time, working against them is much harder than against UAVs because of their much greater flight altitude — a ballistic missile acquires its target where most EW systems can no longer reach, and the satellite signal arrives under more favorable conditions. Even a deviation of the missile from its programmed course by 20–40 meters can allow the target to avoid a direct hit. Yurkov emphasizes that Russia often launches several missiles at a single target at once — sometimes five or six, and in some cases about ten — so even with dispersion one or two of them can still hit. With missiles that follow a nonballistic trajectory, the situation is somewhat simpler because of the lower flight altitude: if a missile is flying at 2–6 km, suppression that can deflect it from course may be applied. At the same time, Yurkov notes that such missiles are much better protected against EW than UAVs, and their error is usually smaller. Read also: Can EW counter jet-powered “Shaheds” and “Banderol” drones: expert explanation Can EW be used against guided aerial bombs Regarding guided aerial bombs (KABs), Yurkov says the situation is somewhat better — they fly at a lower altitude and follow a more linear trajectory that can be calculated, allowing EW systems to be directed to the appropriate area in time. “In most cases, timely response and timely suppression of KABs by EW prevents a direct hit on the target,” he said. At the same time, Yurkov notes that a KAB carries a significant explosive mass, so even a deviation of 20–30 meters does not always guarantee that the object will not be damaged or destroyed. The employment range of KABs is also much shorter than that of ballistic and aeroballistic missiles — for release, a Russian aircraft needs to be approximately 40–50 km from the target. This exposes the aircraft to risk from Ukrainian air defenses, so front‑line cities, where it is harder for Ukrainian forces to bring air defense systems close, remain the primary targets for KABs.

Earlier RBC‑Ukraine wrote about how interceptor drones hunt jet‑powered “Shaheds” and why this task is becoming increasingly difficult as the speed of enemy UAVs increases. It also explained whether it is possible to effectively shoot down the “Banderol” drone‑missiles, which in flight profile are similar to cruise missiles and jet drones.