"Iskanders" hit bridges despite GPS jamming: "Flesh" explained how Russia guides the missiles

"Iskanders" hit bridges despite GPS jamming: "Flesh" explained how Russia guides the missiles

Russian forces continue to strike bridges in Ukraine using Iskander ballistic missiles. Even under large-scale suppression of satellite navigation, the adversary manages to hit such targets with sufficient accuracy.

The missile guidance mechanism was explained on Telegram by Serhii Beskrestnov, adviser to the President of Ukraine on the development of defense technology directions, call sign "Flesh." According to him, to increase accuracy the Russians use special seeker heads that allow them to correct the missile's trajectory during the approach to the target.

"Unfortunately, the enemy hits bridges very accurately. How do they manage this?" Beskrestnov noted on his Telegram channel.

He explained that during air raid alerts over Ukraine there is large-scale jamming of navigation systems. Under such conditions the Iskander's inertial guidance system cannot by itself ensure meter-level accuracy.

Optical correlation seeker head 9E436. Source: War & Sanctions

Therefore Russian missiles are fitted with special guidance heads. In particular, these include optical systems 9E436 and 9B918, as well as heads with radar guidance.

Active radar homing seeker (ARH) 9B918. Source: War & Sanctions

According to "Flesh," in the terminal phase of flight, when the missile's warhead is descending toward the target, the area is scanned for several seconds. The data obtained allow the guidance system to make the necessary adjustments to the flight trajectory.

Post by Serhii Beskrestnov, call sign "Flesh," on Telegram. Source: Screenshot

Recall, in Kyiv as a result of a Russian attack on the night of 7 November, the Northern Bridge was damaged. Because of this the roadway was fully closed to traffic in both directions. According to the capital's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, specialists worked on site to assess the extent of the damage.

The explosion also damaged the road surface, the trolleybus contact line, and a power line. The blast wave struck five trucks parked near the bridge. Due to traffic restrictions, public transport temporarily changed routes; in particular buses and trolleybuses that previously ran across the Northern Bridge were rerouted via the Podilskiy bridge crossing.