UAV for arktiske forhuld - Russland

Russia’s Arctic Group to Flight Test Orlan-10 UAS

The first trial flights in low temperature conditions of the Orlan-10 UAS, just delivered to a unit of the Eastern Military District in Chukotka,  are planned in early 2015.

“The command staff and operators have completed training at the multi-service drone control centre in the Moscow region. At the end of 2014, specialists with several Orlan-10 sets arrived at the permanent service base – the Anadyr-Ugolny aerodrome,” a district official said.

In 2015 it is planned to organise trial combat duty of the drone unit in Chukotka for objective terrain monitoring, drilling combat training tasks in the near maritime zone and performing flights in the area of stationing of the military district’s Arctic units on the Wrangel Island and Cape Otto Schmidt.

The drones will ensure sea navigation security and conduct coastal air reconnaissance over Russian territorial waters.

A combined Arctic strategic command went operational on December 1 in Russia’s northernmost regions. The formation of the Arctic military command is part of Russia’s ongoing extensive program to build up its presence in the Arctic. Last March, President Vladimir Putin said that the armed forces’ training and development efforts should incorporate measures to increase the combat component of the Arctic group. The Defense Ministry has since made several steps along these lines. Russia’s Defense Ministry is going to build 13 airdromes and 10 radars in the Arctic.

Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said in late October that Russia will have full radar coverage of the Arctic region this year, while in 2015 it will be ready “to meet unwanted guests” both from the north and from the east.