The Russian military has the ability to jam some U.S. drones and started blocking signals from GPS satellites and operators to drones operating in Syria in late March, according to a report published Tuesday morning.
U.S. officials said Russian began jamming — or overwhelming the drone with information so that it no longer proceeds to its intended destination — a few weeks ago, according to NBC.
The U.S.-operated drones had been deployed to get more information about possible chemical weapons attacks on civilians in eastern Ghouta.
President Trump on Monday threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with retaliatory measures if his country is found to have played any part in a chemical attack that killed more than one dozen civilians in Syria over the weekend.
American analysts believe the Russian military first began jamming drones during its operation in Ukraine in 2014.
The recent incidents have only affected smaller drones, not the military’s larger Predators and Reapers.
However, U.S. officials warned the technology the Russians are using is sophisticated enough to break past encrypted signals and anti-jamming receivers.
