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Russia Using Syria as Testing Ground for New Electronic Weapons

(Foreign Policy) Lara Seligman - American troops deployed in Syria are increasingly having to defend themselves against Russian jamming devices with potentially lethal consequences, according to U.S. military officials. Officers who have experienced the jamming - known as electronic warfare - say it's no less dangerous than conventional attacks with bombs and artillery. They also say it's allowing U.S. troops a rare opportunity to experience Russian technology in the battlefield and figure out how to defend against it. "All of a sudden your communications won't work, or you can't call for fire, or you can't warn of incoming fire because your radars have been jammed and they can't detect anything," said Col. (ret.) Laurie Moe Buckhout, who specializes in electronic warfare. "It can negate one's ability to defend oneself." Gen. Raymond Thomas, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, said that Syria has become "the most aggressive [electronic warfare] environment on the planet....They are testing us every day," knocking communications down and even disabling aircraft built for electronic warfare.
2018-08-01 00:00:00
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