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Russia Upgrades Iskander Missiles With Advanced Anti-Jamming Tech to Bypass GPS Disruption
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russia has begun integrating upgraded satellite navigation protection into its ground-launched R-500 (9M728) Iskander-K cruise missiles by installing 16-element CRPA (Controlled Radiation Pattern Antenna) systems, known as “Kometa-M.”
According to Defense Express on June 17, this configuration was observed during a recent missile strike targeting Kyiv. Previous versions of the R-500 used a simpler 4-element Kometa-M system, introduced in 2022.
The transition to a 16-element array marks a notable technical enhancement, especially for a missile that has historically relied more on TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) and inertial navigation than satellite guidance.
The addition of a high-element CRPA antenna increases resilience to electronic warfare (EW). Such systems work by selectively filtering interference and require a matching number of jamming sources to be neutralized—in this case, 16.
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While satellite navigation was never the primary guidance method for the R-500, this change may signal a strategic shift by Russia toward greater dependence on satellite-based systems.
Typically, high-element Kometa-M antennas have been used on munitions where satellite navigation is critical. Their inclusion on the R-500 suggests Russia may now be standardizing satellite-guided targeting systems across a wider array of long-range weapons.
Despite the high cost of these antennas—reportedly tens of thousands of dollars each — Russian forces have been installing them broadly, including on UMPK glide bombs and Shahed-type drones since April 2025.
In addition to domestic systems, Russia is also deploying Chinese-made multi-element CRPA antennas on Shahed drones, with the first 16-element variants documented as early as March. These Chinese versions use a circular configuration of elements.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces had destroyed three Russian Iskander missile launchers used to strike civilian targets. The systems were among several key military assets hit in recent days, including a Su-35 jet, helicopters, and logistics hubs, according to reports from Ukraine’s top defense officials.
