As modern battlefields become increasingly saturated with electronic warfare, Israeli defense firm infiniDome is seeking to provide anti-jamming capabilities to small platforms like drones and GPS-guided munitions. Their goal is to „make smart munitions smart again” in the face of rising threats.
The Pervasive Jamming Threat
„You can get a small, handheld jammer on a random Chinese website that can kill GPS signals for hundreds of meters or take down UAVs from kilometers away,” infiniDome CEO Omer Sharar told Breaking Defense. He described jamming as a denial-of-service attack that disables Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals.
Spoofing: A Deceptive Tactic
Beyond jamming, spoofing involves feeding false location and navigation information into a platform, a tactic that can extend beyond the battlefield.
Sharar recounted instances after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack when Israelis experienced GPS spoofing, with their locations falsely appearing in airports in Cairo, Amman, or Beirut. Spoofing can range from blunt disruptions causing large-scale displacement to subtle drifts in positioning that are harder to detect.
GNSS Signal Vulnerabilities
„The fact is that [some GNSS] signals are incredibly weak,” Sharar explained. „By the point they are received on earth by an iPhone or autonomous vehicle, they are as weak as a 20-Watt lightbulb in California trying to receive it in New York. Because the signals are weak, it is easy to disrupt them.”
„Blue” Jamming Challenges
Sharar noted that Israeli forces encountered jamming issues during operations following the Hamas attack, primarily due to the Israel Defense Force’s own jamming activities rather than enemy capabilities. „The biggest problem we had in Israel was not ‘red’ jamming from the enemy, but it was ‘blue’ by the IDF.”
Alternative Navigation Systems
Defense firms are developing navigation systems that do not rely on satellite navigation, such as AI-aided visual or gravitational navigation, and wire-guided missiles. Larger airborne systems have technologies to harden links to satellite navigation systems.
Sharar commented on the trade-offs: „The more you pay, the better backup to GPS you have. It’s just backup. [But] as a function of time though you start losing where you are.”
Targeting Smaller Platforms
With modern militaries increasingly dependent on small drones, including quadcopters and FPV drones, infiniDome is focusing on providing jamming tech suitable for these platforms, which often lack the capacity for larger systems.
„Null Steering” Technology
„We use a technology called ‘null steering,’” Sharar said. This technology, previously used in large anti-jamming solutions for helicopters, fighter jets, and battleships, is being miniaturized by infiniDome.
InfiniDome is „building a module that sits like a filter between the receiver and antennas. We don’t need special antennas or receivers. Whatever GPS receiver you are using, disconnect the antenna and connect to our box … we combine with antennas to get a new receiving pattern,” Sharar explained.
Reviving Smart Munitions
The company aims to develop technology that can fit on 155mm artillery munitions, addressing the accuracy issues caused by jamming in conflicts like the one in Ukraine.
„If you look at Excalibur, the GPS-guided munition, it had 90 percent accuracy,” Sharar noted, „but now in Ukraine that has dropped to five to 10 percent accuracy. So we want to make smart munitions smart again.”
Global Demand for Solutions
GNSS denial or manipulation is a growing problem, driving demand for anti-jamming solutions worldwide.
„We see huge traction in India and Europe. We had success with Indian military trials and in eastern and northern Europe. Everyone is waking up,” Sharar stated. „Everyone knew about it. It became a reality. It became a painful reality.”
