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Downed Russian jets found with GPS receivers taped inside

May 13, 2022  - By
Russian fighter jets in better times. (Photo: Aterrassi/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Russian fighter jets in better times. (Photo: Aterrassi/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Russian jets using GPS receivers, while ground vehicles use paper maps

GPS receivers have been found taped to the dashboards of Russian jets downed in Ukraine, according to a report from Express. The Express received the information from Ben Wallace, United Kingdom defense secretary, who mentioned it in a speech at the National Army Museum.

The GPS receivers were found taped to the dashboards of Russian SU-34s because of “the poor quality of their own systems,” he said. It is unclear whether he was referring to the Russian GLONASS satellite navigation system or the navigation systems aboard the SU-34 jets, but most likely the latter. Lack of maintenance and modernization of Russian military equipment has been obvious since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As for navigation on the ground, many vehicles were found with paper maps from the 1980s, Wallace said.

Russian ground vehicles also lack situational awareness and digital battle management, he said, while the large amount of footage from Ukrainian drones points to a lack of wider air defense, including counter-UAV systems.

In a different news story from the war, Ukraine may be receiving Raytheon-built GPS-guided artillery rounds.

This is posted in Defense, Latest News

About the Author: Tracy Cozzens

Senior Editor Tracy Cozzens joined GPS World magazine in 2006. She also is editor of GPS World’s newsletters and the sister website Geospatial Solutions. She has worked in government, for non-profits, and in corporate communications, editing a variety of publications for audiences ranging from federal government contractors to teachers.