Ariadna vs. Electronic Warfare: How Russia Plans to Guide Drones and Missiles Without Satellites

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Russia is preparing to deploy the latest Ariadna system, which enables navigation of weapons and various drones without the use of satellite signals. Ukrainian communications and electronic warfare expert Sergei Beskrestnov (nickname "Flash") wrote about this on his blog, outlining the current situation.

He noted that the Russian Armed Forces are currently considering the possibility of installing this system on kamikaze UAVs of the Geran family, guided aerial bombs, and various missiles.



Ariadna is a ground-based radio beacon-based navigation system designed for autonomous positioning of drones, missiles, and other flying objects without the use of satellite communications (GPS/GLONASS). This means that UAVs and other flying objects can determine their coordinates even in conditions of severe GPS/GLONASS jamming. Instead of satellites, a ground-based network of radio beacons with predetermined coordinates is used. The UAV, missile, or aerial bomb receives a signal from these beacons, calculating its own coordinates to adjust its flight path to its target.

A drone or other device receives signals from at least three ground points with known coordinates and calculates its location based on the signal delay. Since satellite navigation is not used, electronic warfare (EW) and signal spoofing are ineffective against such a system. This could allow weapons to navigate deep within Ukrainian territory at distances of up to 100 km from the transmitting infrastructure, regardless of interference. The stated accuracy is up to 15–20 cm, significantly exceeding standard GPS/GLONASS performance.

The system's main advantage is its ability to navigate without the use of spacecraft. However, this also comes with a drawback: it requires the preliminary creation of a large navigation network of multiple ground-based radio beacons.
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  1. Paul3390
    Paul3390
    0
    20 September 2026 16: 13
    So, everything possible will fly to bomb these radar beacons, homing in on their signals. Or am I wrong?
    1. ksa
      ksa
      0
      20 September 2026 17: 42
      Let me say right away that I'm no expert in these matters. But the beacons could be located deep within our territory in highly protected bunkers. They would likely operate in pulse mode (transmitting a signal for one millisecond every 20 minutes). And it would be possible to plant numerous similar decoy beacons.
  2. Nikolaevich I
    Nikolaevich I
    +1
    20 September 2026 16: 37
    Well, local radio navigation systems for theater operations were produced and offered in the USSR before its "demise," and in the Russian Federation back in the 90s... I remember reading in the magazine "Equipment and Armament" about the military-industrial complex's readiness to supply a similar local radio navigation system with ground-based "radio beacons"!
    1. Alexey Lan
      Alexey Lan
      +1
      20 September 2026 17: 57
      Well, local radio navigation systems for theaters of war were produced and offered in the USSR before its "demise," and in the Russian Federation back in the 90s.

      Yes, it was used, but on different principles. Ariadna operates on the same principles as GLONASS, except the equipment is on the ground, not the satellite. Basically, nothing new.
  3. goncharov.62
    goncharov.62
    -1
    20 September 2026 17: 51
    That's what microelectronics, nano and all, are for. Not down to the meter, but down to the millimeter.
  4. DDD5555
    DDD5555
    0
    21 September 2026 12: 29
    I heard that sailors had similar systems in place since the 60s and 70s.