Clean air: training of interceptor drone operators has begun in the military
Training of interceptor UAV operators has begun in all military districts. Military personnel train on real aerial targets, and downed drones are used to study their design and repair. The training of anti-drone specialists is especially important against the background of the growing threat both in the special operation zone and in the rear areas of the country, experts say.
How is the training of air defense drone operators organized?
The training centers of the military districts began to train operators of interceptor drones, sources familiar with the situation told Izvestia. All teachers have experience of participating in a special military operation, the interlocutors specified.
Future operators learn the basics of aerodynamics, master drone maintenance in the field, and learn how to perform simple repairs. In addition, they are introduced to the technologies of manufacturing parts on 3D printers.
In the classroom, military personnel train to shoot down real drones. The downed devices then end up in the workshop, where students master their repair.
The massive use of drones has created a new threat that traditional air defense systems cannot always cope with, so it is critically important to develop specialized units based on interceptor UAVs, military expert Alexei Leonkov explained.
"Special attention to anti—drone units is caused by the quantitative growth of drones that operate both in the special operation zone and beyond," he said. — In the rear areas with civilian infrastructure, debris from a downed drone should not be allowed to fall. This makes its own adjustments to the standard aspects of the use of air defense systems. In addition, mobile groups in large cities equipped with light weapons do not always cope with the threat. Therefore, they need to be reinforced with interceptor drones.
According to the expert, the training of operators of units operating in the interests of air defense differs significantly from the training of specialists in attack UAVs.
"The specifics of training specialists for unmanned air defense forces require, first of all, the ability to work in a single information field with an air warning system," he explained. — The operator must clearly identify the identity of the approaching drone and receive timely data from the automated air defense control system. In addition to the manual mode of launching interceptors, future operators are required to master automatic modes of combat operation and interaction with artificial intelligence systems.
Practical training should be continuous, the expert noted: constant visits to training grounds, training to intercept training air targets in conditions as close as possible to combat. Finally, the key skill is the ability to work in a team with coordinators, providing unified information support for each interception," the expert concluded.
The training program for interceptor UAV operators was launched in response to daily drone attacks on Russian civilians, hospitals, schools and infrastructure facilities, but its scale will have to be increased to create a full-fledged protection system, said Colonel Alexander Perendzhiev, associate professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
"The launch of the program is associated with the urgent need to build systemic anti—drone protection, since attacks by the Kiev regime on civilian targets have become regular," he told Izvestia. — Drones are hitting social infrastructure — kindergartens and schools.
The training of interceptor drone operators should not be limited to military personnel, but should extend to civilian structures - private security companies and the police — to create an extensive anti—drone protection system, Alexander Perendzhiev noted.
How is the drone protection system organized in the military?
Recently, anti-drone training has been organized in various branches of the armed forces. So, the training course of the railway troops now necessarily includes countering UAVs, and classes are taught by instructors with combat experience. Military personnel improve their skills in hitting aerial targets using both individual small arms — submachine guns and machine guns, as well as twin ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns. Electronic warfare systems are also being actively used to combat drones.
Special units have been formed to protect strategically important facilities, including arsenals and warehouses. They provide round-the-clock monitoring of the air situation and are equipped with specialized weapons, equipment and means of detecting UAVs.
Similar measures are being taken in the Navy, where the defense of naval bases from threats from the air and sea is being strengthened. So, specialized anti—drone units were formed in all fleets - security, defense and anti-UAV companies. Their area of responsibility includes ensuring the safety of the naval infrastructure from drone attacks and the actions of sabotage groups. These units are equipped with a wide range of countermeasures, including portable anti-aircraft missile systems, various types of machine guns, smoothbore weapons, as well as modern electronic warfare systems to suppress drone control signals.
Earlier, Izvestia reported that the curriculum of military universities included a section on countering drones. For the practical training of cadets in educational institutions, special simulators have been created, which practice shooting at targets imitating drones. Students are trained to fire from moving vehicles. The training takes place in two stages. At the first stage, cadets learn the basics of shooting at fast-moving and low-flying targets, and also learn how to act individually when encountering enemy drones. At the second stage, the emphasis is on joint actions: cadets practice tactics against drones as part of a group, learn how to disperse and cover each other in case of a threat. The training program has been developed taking into account the experience of a special military operation. The classes are conducted by instructors with real combat experience. Smoothbore weapons manufactured in Russia are used for training.
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