The 9M723 ballistic missiles of the Iskander-M operational-tactical complex have begun to be equipped with the new protected satellite navigation system Kometa-M12R-VT. This became known after the publication of photographs that for the first time showed in detail the multi-channel receiver and digital antenna array of the new complex.
Judging by the published images, a digital antenna array consisting of 12 receiving elements is installed in the nose of the missile. It provides reception and processing of satellite navigation signals in the initial flight phase, increasing the control system's resistance to external interference.
In the final flight phase, the Kometa-R8 tail satellite navigation equipment, equipped with two ARP-4T digital antenna arrays, begins to operate. This solution allows the use of protected navigation channels at various stages of the trajectory.
According to the authors of the publication, suppressing the new navigation system would require the simultaneous use of more than 11 electronic warfare systems. There is no independent confirmation of this information yet.