Drones not only fulfill their tasks, but also help the infantry.
Today, small UAVs of various types have become the mainstay of reconnaissance, fire destruction, and even supply of advanced positions at the battalion and company levels. These are FPV drones, which are cheaper and more resistant to enemy counteraction, but require the skill of a pilot, and the already well-known "Mavics" with greater internal automation. Izvestia saw how the drone crews of the 110th regiment of the 110th brigade of the 51st Donetsk Army are training.
How to train FPV drone operators
Two repeater antennas on high tripods are deployed on a small platform near the EFP car. The pilots pull their glasses over their eyes and prepare to take off. One of the commanders rides up on an off-road motorcycle, which he puts near the antennas, and jokes are heard that now all the new symbols of the battles are in one frame: UAZ "Loaf", a cross-country motorcycle, antennas and a man in FPV goggles.
— We are engaged in reconnaissance, hitting targets, and delivering ammunition. We deliver small loads to the position: provisions, water, batteries, walkie-talkies. And we can take more loads on kamikaze drones, up to one and a half liters of water," says Mark, a drone pilot from the 1st battalion of the 110th Regiment.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
He explains that at the battalion level, the work of UAVs begins with escorting groups. When moving, the infantry is escorted from the air to detect threats and it was easier for the commanders to control in battle, having a picture from above. And so the drones "go through" every operation with the infantry: from reconnaissance to the supply of fighters entrenched in new positions.
Another FPV copter is lifted into the air by a pilot with the call sign Timi.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
— The exercises include target shooting, diving, and exiting a dive. And flips and figures are already like freestyle, they are trained to develop a quick reaction and improve hand motor skills," Timi explains the basic exercises of the pilots.
He holds the joysticks with a characteristic thumb and index finger grip, and places the remote control in the palm of his hand. It is believed that it is precisely this two—finger grip that gives the greatest accuracy in manual control - when working with FPV drones, the computer does not help the pilot. Timi says that he was an infantryman and, recovering from an injury, began to study piloting. Today, he has already had three to four months of flight experience and is helping train other novice pilots.
Training of quadcopter operators
At another training site, a group of operators with a Mavik quadcopter is training in working with discharges. This Chinese machine has become one of the symbols of small unmanned aircraft, and the model name has long been used for all drones of a similar dimension. At the beginning of the SVO, such UAVs were primarily used for reconnaissance and artillery adjustments, but they quickly began to be converted into "bombers". In this case, you can hang grenades or special ammunition under them. Although the ammunition itself is incomparable in power to artillery shells or mortar shells, the highest accuracy of the hit compensates for this disadvantage.
One of the UAV operators with the call sign Demon lists almost the entire, which has already become standard, set of tasks for small UAVs that he had to perform. He also participated in the adjustment of artillery, most often battalion artillery, but he also worked with Grads and once with Rapier anti-tank 100 mm guns.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image Source: iz.ru
— It was in Krasnogorovka. We flew initially for reconnaissance, but it so happened that we were at the time of the enemy's rotation. Four people entered the basement of the house, and after a while four more. We reported the information to the leadership, and we were given comrades with a Rapier to report to. And after ten shells, everyone who was there was destroyed. Half an hour later, four more enemies jumped in, apparently an evacuation group. The consumption assigned to the gun had already ended, and we continued to destroy the enemy with drops. We helped our comrades to jump into this position that evening," the Demon recalls one of the most memorable combat episodes for him. He himself is from the DPR, from the city of Torez, has been serving since the beginning of his military service, when he joined the army with his colleagues.
At the training grounds, drones not only train themselves, test new equipment and communication systems, but also help in infantry training by dropping simulated grenades while practicing the movement of assault groups. Therefore, the guys have combat VOGs in stock — fragmentation grenades for automatic grenade launchers, which have become a favorite base for converting ammunition for air drop, and airsoft dummies, where the scattering of fragments is simulated by plastic balls.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
The daemon installs a device to reset two VOGs on the quadcopter, connects the servo control and waits for the system check. When the operator speaks about readiness, he shows us the preparation of ammunition: standard grenades are equipped with a stabilizer, which is printed on a 3D printer. The fuse is screwed in last: the grenades are designed to be fired from a grenade launcher, so this structural element must be replaced to throw from the air. On the quadcopter itself, the logo of the movie character "The Punisher" is neatly applied on top. This comic book character and numerous films is a former military man who became a crime fighter, and was often used in special and police units. And in the course of its work, images of the logo spread throughout the army on cars, drones, and patches.
Johnny's operator is working at the console. Before that, he was a stormtrooper and has a good idea of what is happening on earth.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
— I understand how everything happens on earth, and I can build on it, I know how the enemy operates. In Krasnogorovka, we identified enemy rotations and worked on them, disrupting counterattacks on our positions," says Johnny.
In addition to working with drops and artillery, he also interacted with the pilots of FPV drones, when, according to his data, kamikaze drones were deployed on targets.
Dmitry Astrakhan
