Ukraine tests potentially game-changing intelligence-gathering drone

Ukraine’s military electronics specialist Infozahyst LLC conducted a new flight test of its potentially revolutionary unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with an electronic intelligence complex.

The company announced on Friday a second test flight of a new electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering unmanned aircraft, called the Gekata.

“On February 18, the second flight test of the complex onboard the UAV took place, the main purpose of which was to establish the critical operating conditions of the complex,” the news release says. “The ongoing tests will make it possible to take into account the results obtained in further work to ensure the operability of the complex in difficult conditions.”

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The new drone system is based on the PD-2 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and is designed for the searching, detection, classifying and identifying signal pulses from the radar stations, electronic warfare support measures, anti-craft warfare, and airplanes. Complex determines the operation modes and areas of reconnaissance, based on the principles of active radar, it also denotes their characteristics.

“The tests were successful and in accordance with the plan, we were able to record all the necessary characteristics for further work,” – said the company’s director Yaroslav Kalinin.

The main element of the Gekata system is a 10-kilogram suite with radio reconnaissance equipment, which is installed on the PD-2 drone. According to the developers, the whole complex consists of a ground control station and six drones with Gekata electronic intelligence/communications intelligence suite.

Infozahyst says the Gekata could detect and recognize radio signals from the terrestrial targets, surface targets, air targets (including over-the-horizon targets) in the real-time mode.

The new drone-based ELINT system will open a completely new level of opportunities for the military, according to the company’s officials.

Image credit: Infozahyst

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