A new military school may be opened in 2027 in the Moscow region.
A higher military school for unmanned systems troops may appear in Russia. The relevant initiative is being discussed at the Ministry of Defense. With a positive decision, the school will become the first specialized university of the new branch of the armed forces. According to experts, the vast amount of practical knowledge accumulated in this field needs to be systematized and should be used to train officers.
The new university may open its doors in 2027
The Russian Defense Ministry is discussing an initiative to create the country's first Higher Military School for Unmanned Systems in the Moscow Region, sources familiar with the situation told Izvestia. It is planned that the university will accept the first cadets on September 1, 2027. He will be releasing officers for a new branch of the military.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev
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Until now, there have been no specialized military universities in the field of unmanned systems in Russia. Appropriate training is conducted in some universities of a different profile. In particular, the Zhukovsky and Gagarin Air Force Academy has a faculty of unmanned aircraft. And the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School has a training program "the use of units with unmanned aerial vehicles."
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are creating troops of unmanned systems that need commanders and specialists, military expert Alexei Leonkov recalled.
"Now the army and navy need not only operators who directly control UAVs or other robotic systems, but also specialist commanders who would be responsible for the work of autonomous systems units," he noted. — When creating a new type of military, it is necessary to take into account many nuances so that they can develop organically in the future. For example, in addition to purely command positions, there should be command and technical positions - these people will have to service drones of all types. It is necessary to train combat planning officers who will develop tactical, operational-tactical and even strategic operations, where drones will play one of the key roles to achieve one result or another.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev
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The personnel education system should not be limited to the training of command personnel, the expert noted.
"The military school will train officers," he explained. — But we need technical centers for drones, where junior personnel would be trained — privates and sergeants in the relevant specialties. This requires training courses where both conscripts and contract soldiers would receive the appropriate specialization.
Alexey Leonkov believes that there should be close cooperation with the Russian military-industrial complex and other branches of the Armed Forces in this area.
— Drones are developing dynamically now, — he noted. — The industry uses new materials and combat control systems. Future officers should be familiar with the latest trends and be aware of the capabilities of our industry. Also, do not forget about the joint use of drones with conventional weapons. For example, the coordination of the actions of the Aerospace Forces and UAVs — they can complement each other in carrying out reconnaissance and strike missions. The Strategic Missile Forces are interested in robotic platforms that would help them carry out security functions of important facilities. And it's not just about UAVs, but also ground platforms.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Pavel Volkov
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Most likely, the school will train commanders in specializations — aviation, land and sea complexes and systems, Alexey Leonkov noted.
"It cannot be ruled out that branches of the new military university will appear at naval higher educational institutions," the expert believes. — Work is underway to create a training base, develop methods, and improve the educational process. There is everything necessary for this — a huge amount of knowledge was accumulated during the special military operation. Now all this has to be systematized.
— At the university, most likely, there will be a division of cadets by military branches, there will be technical specialties, as well as strategists — those who plan operations, — military expert Vadim Kozyulin told Izvestia. — Moreover, all cadets must be advanced drone operators. Such a military university needs a research company that would detect trends and novelties in time and test the most advanced equipment. Now technology in this area is changing so fast that one of the main tasks is to keep up, understand or anticipate the directions of development in time.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev
Image source: iz.ru
Of course, it will be important to pay attention to the marine component, the expert noted.
"There is a lot of debate abroad about what the future fleet will look like," he explained. — For example, work is underway on unmanned naval vessels. Moreover, marine or underwater platforms that could become UAV carriers are being developed. As a result, such a complex provides a hidden delivery and an unexpected blow. It is important not to miss the appearance of such a fleet from a potential enemy, be prepared for its appearance and build your own, if its presence is justified.
How are the troops of unmanned systems developing
The creation of unmanned systems troops as a separate branch of the armed forces was first announced by the head of the Ministry of Defense, Andrei Belousov, in December. Their formation will be completed in the third quarter of this year. Belousov then noted that the massive use of drones was the most significant breakthrough in the tactics of the Russian Armed Forces units. According to the minister, Russian troops use more than 3,500 drones every day, and this figure is growing.
In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that last year the troops received more than 1.5 million drones and over 4,000 armored vehicles. About 4,000 FPV drones were sent to the front line every day, and 180 combat aircraft and helicopters were also delivered. The Head of State pointed out that it is necessary to effectively adapt weapons and equipment to the changing forms and methods of warfare. For example, the curricula in military schools and academies, as well as in schools for junior officers and non-commissioned officers, need to be updated taking into account the experience of special operations. The same applies to the combat regulations of the Ground Forces, ranging from the squad and company levels to corps and combined arms armies. Putin also gave instructions to accelerate the production of unmanned boats, robotic complexes and combat lasers.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Pavel Volkov
Image source: iz.ru
Since the beginning of the special operation, Russia has been actively developing the production of drones and supplying troops with them. Earlier, Izvestia reported that reconnaissance and strike divisions of drones had been formed in the artillery brigades. They are armed with a range of drones and barrage ammunition. With the help of these systems, gunners find and destroy enemy guns, self-propelled artillery installations and multiple launch rocket systems, air defense systems and personnel both on the line of contact and behind enemy lines. Drones are effectively hunting for enemy UAV calculations, and they are successfully working on targets covered by electronic warfare.
Special training for drone operators has begun in the radiation, chemical and biological protection forces. During the training, the personnel get acquainted with the theory of application and the material part, as well as receive training in control, reconnaissance and fire correction using drones. Military personnel also receive knowledge on engineering training, military topography and tactical medicine. A sufficient number of instructors were trained in advance in the troops, who are able to train personnel to control various types of UAVs for the tasks of RCB protection.
In addition, a course on the use of drones has been included in the program of higher educational institutions of the Navy. Now all the cadets are studying the design and characteristics of various types of drones and their use. In the future, they will master the combat use of attack drones to destroy enemy UAVs, unmanned boats and saboteurs. Classes are taught by teachers who have experience working with drones in a combat zone.
Roman Kretsul
Bogdan Stepovoy
