The new tactic makes it possible to avoid the detonation of army equipment by mines and land mines.
Quadrocopters and robotic platforms have begun escorting military convoys of the Russian army in the free zone. Now two drones are examining the route of equipment from the air, and when suspicious objects are detected, a ground vehicle is activated. He sets up an overhead charge and destroys the dangerous find. The new tactics of sending columns can reduce the risk of detonation by mines dropped from drones, as well as by land mines planted by saboteurs, experts say.
Both in the air and on the ground
Columns of military equipment in the area of the military special operation began to be escorted by aerial and ground drones, sources familiar with the situation told Izvestia.
Two quadrocopters with video cameras are flying in front of the cars: they inspect the roadbed and roadsides. When an explosive object is found, the equipment stops, and a ground-based robotic platform with a manipulator is unloaded from one of the trailers.
The operator of the device, focusing on the data from the quadrocopters, finds a suspicious object. After that, the robot uses a manipulator to place an overhead charge on it and moves away to a safe distance. Then the charge is detonated, and the detected object is destroyed, the interlocutors said.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Kirill Braga
Image source: iz.ru
This tactic of sending columns is already being used in the special operation zone.
Ground and aerial drones are not the only protection for military equipment on the march. It is also covered by mobile firing groups (MOG), whose fighters are armed with machine guns, smoothbore rifles and electronic warfare systems to counter enemy drones.
"This is more effective than moving without guards or with sappers on foot," said Colonel Valery Yuryev, chairman of the Russian Union of Paratroopers. — A lot depends on the equipment of the quadcopter. There are systems that allow you to view the ground to a certain depth and detect land mines placed on or near the road.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Bobylev
Image source: iz.ru
This technique saves people's lives, he added. Now the enemy is equipping anti-vehicle mines with non-extraction elements, and this is a serious risk for the sapper.
— Not every clever device can be defused. Therefore, when mechanical means of mine clearance are used, it is safer. In any case, it's better when metal drones are detonated, rather than a human," concluded Colonel Yuryev.
Drones in the state
Drone escort of convoys is a natural development of security methods, military expert Alexei Leonkov noted in a conversation with Izvestia.
— Everything is going to the fact that soon most of the military equipment will be equipped with such drones, — the expert believes. — We have a new branch of the armed forces — the Troops of unmanned systems. They are being implemented in all units of the ground forces, and transport units will also receive such drones. They got an important job that should always be done on the battlefield or in frontline areas — escorting military equipment.
The safety of transport routes in the frontline zone is one of the most key tasks ensuring the stability of our forces on the line of contact, military experts say.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Pivovarov
Image source: iz.ru
Enemy drones can fly far into the rear and lay mines. In addition, sabotage groups may operate in certain areas, which makes traffic on the roads dangerous, Alexey Leonkov noted.
The fact that quadrocopters from the NRTC began to guard the columns is a kind of pen test: in the future, there will be whole units of drones in the structure of transport units, the expert is sure.
According to Leonkov, the robotic systems will be engaged in reconnaissance, escort, cover from attacking drones, as well as identify obstacles along the route of military equipment.
Trends in recent years show that robotic complexes of various types will play an increasingly important role in the military, military expert Yuri Lyamin told Izvestia.
"Both military operations, the advance of columns, and activities in the near rear will be accompanied by the massive use of air and ground vehicles," he is confident. — They will have to storm, cover, conduct reconnaissance, etc. In other words, more and more unmanned vehicles with a wide variety of specializations will appear around any crewed vehicle.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Malgavko
Image source: iz.ru
There are more and more drone defenders who are supposed to cover columns and equipment in combat and in the rear, Yuri Lyamin noted. Anti-aircraft interceptor UAVs are currently deployed on the front line, and in the very near future they will provide an anti-aircraft "umbrella" for our equipment on the march in the rear, experts believe.
Drones-assistants for assault groups
The field of application of various robotic platforms in the Russian army is now actively expanding. Specialized drones help lay communication lines and deliver cargo to the front line. Ground-based NRTKS with small arms are escorted by assault troops.
There are also percussion machines. Izvestia wrote that the troops are currently testing the ground-based Uran-3 drone. The new product is designed for sappers and assault units and can be used when clearing passages in minefields and barriers. To do this, she received a special minesweeper, which is guaranteed to destroy antipersonnel mines.
Photo: TASS/Alexander River
Image source: iz.ru
If necessary, the device is capable of supporting advancing units with fire — it has a special module with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. The device is controlled remotely using a remote control. Due to this, the operator can be hundreds of meters away from the machine, which significantly reduces the risk to his life.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Roman Kretsul
