BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 19. Azerbaijan's State Security Service is investigating radio interference that was created by Armenian illegal armed formations against aircraft, Trend reports.
During the investigation of the ongoing criminal case in the State Security Service regarding terrorist and other crimes committed by the illegal armed formations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, along with other special technical means at the disposal of these armed formations, disarmed as a result of local anti-terrorist measures, foreign-made electronic warfare complexes of the "Pole-21M" type were discovered, installed on the basis of "Repellent-1" trucks, as well as other electronic warfare systems installed in a makeshift manner.
The service noted that in terms of tactical and technical indicators, the "Polyus-21M" complex was used to create radio interference as well as limit signals coming from satellite navigation systems such as GPS, GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), Galileo, Beidou, and others on objects located at a distance of up to 150 km.
"As it's known, Armenian illegal armed formations in the Karabakh region used radio interference against the navigation systems of civilian aircraft of foreign airlines and the Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC operating in the airspace of the country. This has been repeatedly reported to the international community," the service reminded.
"From 2021 on, numerous facts of intensified use of such radio interference were recorded. These facts were accompanied by disruptions in the reception of signals from global navigation satellite systems at radar stations located in the vicinity of these territories," the service said. "The disruptions were caused by obstructing the reception of signals and resulted in the loss of navigation signals on civilian aircraft flying in and around the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. This situation reduced the effectiveness of controlling civilian aircraft and could have led to a temporary loss of control over aircraft and aviation incidents."
"It was determined that the "Repellent-1 system was used for detecting and tracking the signals of communication channels and information transmission from airborne radio communication equipment at distances of up to 35 km, with the ability to determine their location, direction, and speed in space. This system also created radio interference in the operation of control and navigation systems," the service noted.
"It was also revealed that makeshift radio-electronic warfare complexes were used to restrict signals from navigation satellites such as GPS and GLONASS, as well as to create radio interference. Currently, investigative and operational measures are being carried out as part of the criminal case," the service added.
In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.
Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.