Advancements in the development of Gekata, the Ukrainian radio-technical intelligence complex, are underway at a brisk pace within the confines of the Ukrainian research and production center, Infozakhist, according to the center’s director, Yaroslav Kalinin. Kalinin disclosed that the company is presently conducting intra-firm experimental trials of the prototype, cautiously confining its usage to provisional applications for practical problem-solving purposes.
“Our project has finally managed to take off and we’re in the phase of ascending into further complexities. Just like in any other experimental format, we’ve come across a few roadblocks that require resolution,” said Kalinin.
When questioned about the timeframe for Gekata to possess the capability to detect Russian anti-aircraft missile installations near Ukraine’s borders, Kalinin affirms that they have achieved initial successes in this domain. Nevertheless, he promptly highlights that this achievement is limited to a specific component and does not encompass the entire system.
“We have started receiving and processing the initial signals, and are now constantly expanding our competencies to ensure a complete situational awareness chain from pinpointing enemy ground station coordinates in real-time to fostering weapon action planning flexibility”, Kalinin expansively puts.
Let’s recall that the debut of Gekata’s radio-technical intelligence system occurred at the Arms and Security Exhibition in 2021. Constructed on the PD-2 drone, developed by the Ukrainian company Ukrspecsystems, its flight trials commenced in December 2021. The multifaceted functionalities of this system encompass a broad spectrum of radio-technical intelligence, primarily focused on identifying enemy radars, radio-electronic protection measures, air defense systems, and aircraft. This initiative is anticipated to significantly enhance the capabilities of the Ukrainian military.
Examining Gekata’s characteristics, the complex boasts an impressive detection range of 450 km, allowing its drones to surpass the reach of Russian air defenses. This extensive range enables reconnaissance missions across the entirety of Ukraine, including temporarily occupied areas and Crimea. Notably, the Gekata complex prioritizes stealth, emitting no signals during operations, making it challenging for adversaries to detect a PD-2 drone even at distances of 200 km from the front line. Remarkably, the PD-2 can provide a comprehensive view of events up to 250 km deep into the territory.
The Gekata complex’s capacity is equally noteworthy, with the capability to monitor up to 200 targets simultaneously. It can store gathered data or transmit it in real-time as needed, even during periods of ‘radio silence’ or autonomous flight. Operational efficiency is enhanced by the system’s manageability by a single operator, lower energy demands compared to terrestrial RTR systems, and its quick setup time and highly mobile design.
Exploring the features of the Gekata complex, it operates within a frequency range of 2-18 GHz as standard, employing a super heterodyne type receiver that offers an immediate review bandwidth in real-time of 800 MHz. With two independent channels on a hardware level, it provides a snapshot bandwidth of one channel at 400 MHz. A single signal exhibits a dynamic range exceeding 72 dB, with a full 360° visibility range along the azimuth angle. Additionally, the system employs a coordinate determination method based on TDOA+AOA to track up to 200 moving targets.
