Elbit Systems’ ATMOS and PULS weapon systems that Denmark purchased in 2023 are equipped with civilian GPS, making them vulnerable to electronic interference such as jamming and spoofing.
Jamming or spoofing of electronic communications could reduce the platforms’ accuracy and disorient them.
The Danish Armed Forces are resigned to the vulnerability for the time being.
“The war in Ukraine has shown us that when you are exposed to jamming, you become vulnerable, and the less vulnerable, the better,” Danish daily Jyllands-Posten quoted commander of the Danish Artillery Regiment Colonel Michael A. Villumsen as saying.
“Sometimes you can use your weapons systems optimally, other times you can’t. These are the conditions of war. But of course it would have been better with military GPS.
“There is a need to improve the system so that we strengthen the robustness against jamming. Right now we cannot eliminate the effect of jamming.”
Replacement to Take Years
However, according to Danish public broadcaster Dr Nyheder, there is doubt whether a replacement is possible in all the systems.
Even if the replacement were possible, it would take “several years,” the outlet added.
Denmark purchased eight PULS multiple rocket launchers and 19 ATMOS self-propelled howitzers for $252 million to replace the 19 French-made Caesar howitzers donated to Ukraine.
Elbit has delivered all the PULS systems and the first batch of ATMOS.
Elbit’s Reply
Meanwhile, in a reply to the Israeli newspaper Globes, Elbit Systems refuted the claims by Danish media about the GPS, stressing that “it provides all precise rocket munitions combined with military GPS with some of the most advanced capabilities in the world that have been operationally proven.”
“Any other claim is fundamentally wrong and reflects professional misunderstanding.”
Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen also refused to acknowledge the vulnerability in a written reply to Jyllands-Posten.
“I believe it is understood that I can neither confirm nor deny information about vulnerabilities in weapons systems. Therefore, I have no further comments on that information.”
