The Russians would have the ability to "obscure" Syrian skies, including satellites in the low Earth orbit (LEO). Deployed from the beginning of the Russian redeployment to protect the Hmeymim base near the Bassel al-Assad International Airport, but not yet in service (sighted for the first time on 5 last October), the platform Krasukha-4 could now begin to take targeted electronic warfare actions against terrestrial and airborne radars, including Airborne Alarm and Control Systems (AWACS).
With an operating radius of 300 km, the latest version of the Krasukha, in service for less than a year, would be able to permanently disturb the electronic detection devices, making targeted attacks.
Designed to defend high priority mobile systems like platforms Iskander, the Krasukha could now tarnish the detection network of Turkish radar stations in an operational perimeter that would include the whole of eastern Syria. The Kremlin would have sent two other systems Krasukha in the Region: one of these will be operational from the port of Tartus to protect the Russian fleet deployed near the Syrian coast.
Electronic Warfare or Electronic Warfare is the ability to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum in order to detect enemy targets and attack them in advance, preventing them from completing the mission. Products from KRET i Krasukha in Syria they give Russians the ability to interrupt, for example, radio communications as well as active intelligence gathering and cancel any kind of conventional missile attack.
It is assumed that they are also able to neutralize the "Lacrosse" and "Onyx" synthetic aperture radars, spy satellites of the National Reconnaissance Office. We know the Krasukha-4 took action in eastern Ukraine. In many situations, Ukrainian communications have been "turned off" altogether. It is clear that a network formed by the Krasukha on the one hand it can monitor the entire NATO air network in the Region and on the other it obscures the multilevel intelligence network: from Lacrosse to AWACS, from X-band to J-band communications.
Designed to counter the radio-localization of the NSO satellite network (which officially does not exist), the Krasukha-4 it is not immune to Western electronic countermeasures. The problem, in this case, is that such an action would be considered an act of war. To electronically attack a system set up to protect an operational area (granted by the host country), would mean undermining the already perishable situation in the Region.
NATO can do no more than accept the entry into service of these systems to protect the Russian bases.
