Ukraine’s military intelligence service has identified 37 foreign electronic components used in Russia’s Kometa anti-jamming navigation systems.
Of these, 28 come from US manufacturers, three each from Japanese and Chinese manufacturers, two from Swiss companies, and one from a Taiwanese manufacturer.
Alongside the component list, published on its War&Sanctions portal, the agency mapped a network of 28 Russian and Chinese companies involved in producing Kometa modules or supplying the electronics needed to build them.
Russian defense manufacturers have ordered more than 100,000 Kometa modules across several configurations this year, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
To fulfill those orders, the system’s main manufacturer, VNIIR-Progress, uses production facilities within its parent group, ABS Electro, alongside outside contractors.
Another company in the group, VNIIR JSC, procures electronic components from suppliers including Chinese distributors and Russian intermediaries.
However, sanctions and tighter export controls have made key components harder to obtain, prompting VNIIR-Progress to seek alternative supply routes and substitutes for Altera and Analog Devices products, Kyiv said.
Countering Navigation Jamming
Kometa modules help Russian missiles, drones, and guided bombs maintain satellite navigation when exposed to electronic interference.
Their controlled-reception-pattern antennas work with signal-processing electronics to distinguish navigation signals from interference and reduce jamming’s effects.
Performance depends on the number and arrangement of antenna elements, as well as the processing algorithms.
Kyiv identified key foreign components, including Altera Cyclone programmable chips for signal processing, along with signal converters and radio-frequency electronics from Analog Devices and its Linear Technology brand.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Moscow is widely deploying 16-element Kometa arrays and preparing production of 20-element versions.
The agency also reported the use of 32-element antennas manufactured in China and Russia’s Alabuga industrial zone.