11 May 2020

Will russia restart shortwave jamming?

Interesting results of shortwave observations and following discussion started by Token forum member were posted on HFU message board: strange DSB-modulated signals on at least four frequencies: 5708, 9008, 9022 and 9024 kHz were regularly active in April between 0300 and 0500 UTC on weekdays. Sometimes on two frequencies simultaneously.

The audio sounded like looped recording of mixed male and female voice speeches taken from programs of USSR All-Union Radio: short clippings of local and international news concatenated and mixed into the one recording. I just recalled that I have already heard this sound formerly when listened to audio clips posted by American DXers. That was sample from Rimantas Pleikys' website, dedicated to deliberate radio jamming, and described as: "Speech-like signal (USSR 1976-1988, USSR/Poland  1980-1988)". The audio, as it turns out, was identical!

What is the "speech-like signal jamming"? Some people of the older generation in ex-USSR countries are probably remember that phenomenon and well familiar with it. Others can find clear answer in Rimantas Pleikys' article "Radio Jamming in the Soviet Union, Poland and other East European Countries". Rimantas writes that some countries of the Soviet Bloc started to broadcast speech resembling signal since year 1976. This was quite efficient jamming technique, because its sound, composed of male and female announcers speech, is well conformed with typical timbre of the human voice.

Signal strength, simultaneous broadcasts on several frequebcies and regular schedule basis of the strange April transmissions actually argue in favour of its official origin and tell us that it was not a fraud/joke organized by some radio pirates. Moreover, numerous TDoA analysis attempts, carried by American DXers, reveal signal source somewhere near Khabarovsk area (russia).

Thus, deliberate jamming is the leading assumption on purpose of these transmissions for the moment. It was rather test, not actually a real jamming yet, as no other signals were observed on the same frequencies. However, it remains unclear what is the possible target of the jamming, because all russian-language "enemies' voices" have already left shortwave bands since Soviet/post-Soviet era? May be it's a preparation for an assistance to "Chinese comrades" in fight against VOA, RFA, RTI, SOH?

The frequencies selected for the tests allow for conclusions that some NATO utility stations operating on adjacent channels could be potential targets. Some of them are using Link-11 (MIL-STD-6011) standard NATO protocol, but I guess, the speech resembling signal is more suitable for jamming of voice communications.

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