A system for providing operational control of a vehicle includes a first network device and control module. The first network device includes: polarized antennas; a transmitter transmitting an initiator packet via the polarized antennas from the vehicle to a second network device including a synchronization access word and a CW tone, one of the first and second network devices is implemented within the vehicle, the other one of the first and second network devices is a portable access device, and at any moment in time, at least one of the polarized antennas is not cross-polarized with an antenna of the second network device; and a receiver receiving a response packet from the second network device including the synchronization access word and the first CW tone. A control module determines a difference in RTT between the initiator and response packets and detects a range extension type relay attack.