The new devices allow remote installation of smoke screens and mining in any conditions.
Chemical defense troops are being trained to control ground robots that have begun to enter the army. In the foreseeable future, controlling such drones will become a basic skill for all military personnel, Izvestia sources say. Robots will be able to install smoke screens, mine the area, deliver goods, conduct chemical reconnaissance and work where human presence is associated with an increased risk. In modern conditions, it is necessary to introduce such equipment in the army en masse, and the widest possible range of fighters should be able to control it, military experts agree.
RCBZ troops have begun to master ground-based drones
Military personnel of the radiation, chemical and biological Protection Forces (RCBZ) have begun to master ground-based robotic complexes (NRTC), sources familiar with the situation told Izvestia. The devices, according to their information, have already been delivered to the units.
Drone management classes are conducted with all military personnel. First, they take a theory course, and then they start practicing practical skills. In particular, they must be able to guide the device along a certain route both in the forest belt and in the field.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov
Image source: iz.ru
The training is conducted by instructors who have experience in using ground-based drones in combat conditions.
For the RCBZ troops, robotic complexes are especially in demand due to the specifics of the tasks they face, military expert Yuri Lyamin told Izvestia.
— NRTKS can remotely set up smoke screens, mine the area and perform tasks in conditions of radiation, chemical and other contamination without putting people in danger. Such equipment is necessary for the RCBZ troops, and the units need to be saturated with it as much as possible," he explained.
Robots can be assigned other tasks directly related to the work of the RCBZ units, said military expert Boris Jerelievsky.
"The tasks of this branch of the military include taking soil samples in the contamination zone and conducting chemical reconnaissance," he said. — These tasks can be assigned to robots.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov
Image source: iz.ru
With the massive influx of NRTCS, it is important that not only regular operators have management skills. That is why the training of all RCBZ military personnel makes practical sense, Yuri Lyamin noted.
— There should not be a situation where the operator is injured and the equipment is left without control at all. Fortunately, modern ground technology is quite user-friendly. It does not require any special knowledge and skills to learn it. We need maximum coverage so that as many military personnel as possible can perform basic tasks," the expert concluded.
How are robotic complexes used in the special operation zone?
Ground-based robotic systems are becoming more widespread in the special operations area. Earlier, Izvestia reported that on the front line, Russian units began using ground-based drones to counter enemy drones. Directional electronic warfare systems designed to suppress control signals are installed on such platforms. During combat operations, the robotic vehicle moves closer to the line of contact, after which it activates electronic warfare equipment that blocks drone communication channels in a certain direction. The cover zone created in this way allows units to move more safely, carry out assault missions and carry out necessary maneuvers.
Photo: TASS/Alexander River
Image source: iz.ru
Such complexes demonstrate particular effectiveness in the fight against heavy Ukrainian Baba-Yaga hexacopters. Such devices are characterized by a relatively low speed and often operate along pre-determined routes. Therefore, a robotic platform with an electronic warfare system capable of suppressing the control channels of drones can be placed in advance in the intended direction of their flight.
In addition to electronic warfare tasks, the Russian military has retrofitted ground-based robotic complexes to prepare routes ahead of assault groups. Instead of standard combat equipment, roller or electromagnetic trawls are installed on the vehicles. The roller device acts on the ground and, due to the pressure created, triggers mines. The electromagnetic variant forms a field capable of activating ammunition equipped with magnetic fuses. Robots are also equipped with special dumps to overcome various obstacles.
Similar tools are used by engineering departments to set up passageways. At the same time, NRTKS have a number of advantages over large engineering equipment: they are smaller, more difficult to detect and damage, highly maneuverable, and can operate in areas where the use of full-size machines is difficult or impossible.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Mirny
Image source: iz.ru
The troops of unmanned systems as an independent structure were formed last fall. Management bodies of various levels have been created within the new structure. Separate regiments equipped with a wide range of unmanned vehicles have appeared in military districts. They use multicopters and aircraft-type vehicles, reconnaissance and intercepting drones, as well as ground-based robotic platforms.
Timofey Volkov
