The ELINT Gekata unmanned aerial vehicle was introduced in 2021, now the manufacturer expects it to come into play in 2023
Private Ukrainian company Infozahyst Research and Production Center has begun preparations for performance tests of its UAVbased electronic reconnaissance system called Gekata, company CEO Yaroslav Kalinin said in exclusive comments to Defense Express.
“We continue to work on Ukraine’s first ELINT Gekata system based on the PD2 UAV manufactured by Ukrspecsystems. To date, the company has acquired and maintained the aircraft; “At the facility, we created a specialized department with responsible personnel for work on the aviation component, and also carried out preparatory work before integrating the ELINT payload into the UAV,” Kalinin said.
The CEO of Infozahyst expects that all tests necessary for use in real combat will be completed by the end of this year.
He also adds that his company is working in cooperation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine to create a database of signals used by the main Russian radar systems that are most often used on the battlefield.
“This will help Gekata effectively locate enemy positions and relay information to fire support units.”
The Gekata ELINT system
This reconnaissance system was developed by Infozahyst in collaboration with drone manufacturer Ukrspecsystems specifically for use in the PD2 dualuse unmanned aerial vehicle. It is said to be able to locate and identify terrestrial radiation emitters at a distance of 450 km from the drone. A system can have up to four drones in the air, providing 24hour surveillance over a 100 km front line.
The system itself carries a payload of 10 kg, which is integrated into a modular UAV and can be launched via a classic catapult/chain or equipped with VTOL capability.
For the first time, Gekata was presented during the “Weapons and Security” exhibition in 2021. Later that year, the Gekataequipped UAV conducted its first flight, followed by the second test flight on February 18, 2022. The aim was to discover critical operating parameters: Gforce during takeoff and landing, vibrations, altitude influence, etc.
Infozahyst states that the data collected helped to improve the system to ensure its functionality in adverse conditions and in adapting the electronics for operation in the air.
“The changes affected the antenna system, which improved the detection of electromagnetic radiation in the 360° field of view. Now its external appearance takes into account the aerodynamics of the fuselage and protects sensitive sensors from the elements,” Kalinin noted.
SOURCE: Defense News