Putin announced plans to designate drones as a separate branch of the armed forces

Russia is thinking of making unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) a separate type of troops. Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on November 28 following his visit to Astana.

Answering a question regarding the allocation of drones in a separate type of troops, he pointed out that the General Staff and the Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation are thinking about this topic. In addition, the head of state called Andrei Belousov a modern defense minister and a person who is well versed in issues related to drones, adding that he is currently considering ways to organize this work together with professional military personnel.

Putin pointed out that drones are used equally actively in the conflict on both sides. According to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) began using drones on fiber optics following Russia.

"Our servicemen, our guys have learned to react almost lightning fast, and right on the spot, a lot of people with very good education came to the combat zone," Putin said.

The president called drones one of the most important factors in successful combat operations. He added that the Russian army is actively moving along the entire line of contact.

Robust communication: drones have been given a jamming control channel

The new system ensures stable interaction between the operator and the drone in the conditions of countering REBs

Earlier, on October 2, an innovation college for UAV operators was opened in the Rudnevo industrial park in Moscow. Together with the head of state, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and Russian Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov arrived at the opening of the site. The Minister stated that Russian colleges have been equipped with about 8.4 thousand modern laboratories and workshops. In addition, 2.5 thousand educational buildings and dormitories have been repaired.

Before that, on September 12, it was reported that the first textbook on the study of UAVs, which schoolchildren will use in labor lessons, published in Russia. The school manual tells about the classification of drones and their electronic components, as well as the basics of manual piloting.

On October 1, it was also reported that the Dandelion unmanned aerial system (UAS) with coaxial propeller arrangement has started to be mass-produced in Russia. Ruslan Lyapin, deputy director general for development of the drone's developer, JSC Atri, told Izvestia that the novelty can stay in the air at one point for up to 40 minutes. In addition, an Ampel transportation and launching complex has been created for the drone, which is used, among other things, as a charging and heating station at low temperatures.