It is worth starting with the well-known incident in Vradiivka, in the Mykolaiv region, where local residents rioted, showing the police and authorities what an outraged society is capable of. This event has perhaps become the most discussed topic over the past few months. Unsurprisingly, discussions under materials on this topic often featured calls for a change of power. Using the example of special antennas that can be seen on the roofs of cars belonging to officials and important figures, we will try to explain that these people are fully aware of the reality they live in and therefore try to protect themselves by all available means.
How it all began
The history of the appearance of mysterious antennas and other devices on car roofs dates back to the Soviet era. At that time, the KGB and other special services used them for secure communications, surveillance, and similar tasks. They were also used in the army and in the Special Purpose Garage when transporting top state officials.
In the nineties, such special devices began to appear on the cars of crime bosses. The impetus for their spread was a wave of car bombings involving important people. It was they who introduced the fashion for installing special communication antennas capable of protecting against radio-controlled explosive devices.
A specific case
Finding out exactly what equipment is in the cars of the presidential motorcade, for example, is quite difficult. However, one of Barack Obama's escort vehicles can lift the veil of secrecy over the issues of travel security.
We are talking about an electronic warfare vehicle available to the State Department and the Secret Service. Its task is to counter air-to-surface missiles, create interference, intercept radio signals, and block radio-controlled explosive devices. Similar antennas and devices can also be seen on cars of the Ukrainian government, including the president. The motorcade always includes at least one car with characteristic "horns."
In addition, the Mercedes in which Yanukovych himself travels has what at first glance appears to be a completely ordinary antenna. But it is not quite simple...
Buckets or black pots
Many are interested in what the black "buckets" that can be seen on government and simply expensive cars are. Some mistake them for flashing lights covered with covers. By the way, in 2011, when the media wrote about the motorcade of Party of Regions MP Yuriy Ivanyushchenko (known as Yura Yenakiivsky), journalists just confused the "buckets" with flashing lights. Later, as a postscript, they added that these were not flashing lights, but presumably the "Pelena" system.
"Pelena." It is unlikely that you will be able to find the exact characteristics and purpose of this system on the Internet, as well as its cost. The company involved in the sale and installation of such devices in Ukraine is extremely non-public. Nevertheless, it is regularly mentioned in tenders for the supply of special equipment for the SBU and other agencies. It is called the Scientific Production Center "Infozakhyst." The main principle of the SPC is not to disclose any direct or indirect mentions of its clients, because even the fact that a company has applied can be used by ill-wishers.
The electronic warfare system "Pelena" is designed to protect against radio-controlled explosive devices, as well as to protect technical information. In addition, it can block cell phone signals. The kit includes six antennas of various types (including "buckets") and a metal monoblock, usually placed in the trunk. The cost of such a system is approximately 20-25 thousand dollars.
It is worth noting that there are other systems that perform functions similar to "Pelena." There are foreign analogues, and there are developments from CIS countries. For example, on VIP cars you can sometimes see systems from the Design Experimental Bureau of Radio Equipment "KOBRA."
Unobtrusive antennas
In the CIS countries, they are mainly represented by old and new systems "Kavkaz," "Karat," "Angstrem," and "Rosa." All these are special communication systems that, if you delve into the details, have significant differences. One of the first to use them was Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. It is on his car that you can see half-meter antennas installed at an angle from the "Rosa" government mobile radio communication system.
The purpose of each of these systems is to provide secure communications for leaders of security forces and government officials. To make it clearer what special communication is, let's consider "Kavkaz" as an example (and recall the antenna on Viktor Fedorovych's Mercedes).
"Kavkaz." Divided into 7 code groups. Depending on the modification, it can provide both secure telephone and document communication, as well as communication with mobile objects (aircraft, ships, etc.). It uses wired, shortwave, and satellite communication channels. The "Kavkaz-7" version is a secure telecode communication channel for immediately delivering information about a nuclear attack to top state officials regardless of their location, as well as for transmitting the decision (sanction) for retaliatory actions (use of missile-nuclear weapons) to the centralized combat control system.
On cars, the presence of "Kavkaz" can be determined by a whip antenna 25-30 centimeters long with a triangular base, installed at an angle of 60-70 degrees.
Antennas of other systems are externally similar to "Kavkaz," but still differ. However, we are not in a radio club, so we will not delve into the details. It is important to note that you cannot install such a system in your car. Firstly, the antenna is just the tip of the iceberg, and the "iceberg" itself in the form of a huge suitcase will not fit in every car. Secondly, a person with a service weapon must always be in a car with special communication. And thirdly, such pleasure is not cheap and cannot be used for personal purposes without special permission from the relevant authorities.
Horns
Small "horns" on the roof of a car may indicate the presence of terrestrial digital television DVB-T(2). Initially, such luxury was found on government cars and cars of heads of special services.
Over time, businessmen also joined in, who also wanted to have digital TV. The price is about 1000 UAH.
Washer
Initially, this type of antenna was used in a confidential crypto-protected communication network for special services and highest authorities. Over time, it moved to cars of civilians, including taxi drivers (there are many of them in Russia).
The advantage of such an antenna is that it has a circular radiation pattern in the horizontal plane - you can communicate with "subscribers" via a mobile radio station, regardless of the car's position. On civilian cars, it can be used as a GSM-3G antenna that improves the quality of communication and mobile internet from a regular 3G modem. Price - from 300 hryvnias.
Dish
Occasionally, "dishes" can be found on cars. Such antennas are used for radio monitoring and radio control - detection, direction finding, and analysis of radio signals, which is necessary to ensure public and national security, as well as to control frequency distribution at the state level.
Often, direction finders are hidden under roof boxes. So do not be surprised if you see a huge SUV or a strange-looking van with a roof box. This does not mean that its "owner" lacks a trunk. Perhaps there is a direction finder there. Or indeed the entire trunk is always packed with equipment...
I hear everyone, I see everything
In the end, it is worth adding that the mentioned special communication devices allow not only blocking explosive devices, but also listening to anyone and, of course, jamming signals. Also anyone. We hope that after reading the article, you will no longer wonder what "buckets" and "hedgehogs" are on the roofs of expensive cars. Of course, we have considered only a small part of the existing special communication means - just a photo of a car from the US president's security makes it clear that behind the antennas on the roof hides a whole bunch of equipment, the existence of which we may not even suspect.
In conclusion, I would like to make one more amendment. The presence of any of the mentioned attributes of special communication does not always mean that it really is in a particular car. The Internet is full of offers for the sale of dummies, which, by the way, are also sometimes found on expensive cars with supposedly "not simple" owners. In Russia, there are plenty of unique individuals installing pseudo-Pelena on VAZs.
These "toys" are gradually being promoted in Ukraine too. And there are requests...
How to distinguish a dummy from genuine systems? If you do not look closely, you can confuse them. But you do not need to be an expert to understand the main thing - mostly real antennas are installed on cars that rarely drive without an escort or have government or simply "cool" license plates. Well, the brand of the car, due to our mentality, also plays a role.
Alexander Kotovsky
