YAKUTSK, June 18. /TASS/. The Russian Army’s Arctic UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) team in the Republic of Sakha practiced missions at record low temperatures and the skills gained in the exercise are used in the special military operation in Ukraine, Team Commander Senior Lieutenant Anatoly Khramov told reporters on Tuesday.
"As of today, this is one of the northernmost points of such training and our specifics involve extreme climate conditions. The personnel took part in training exercises at a temperature of as low as minus 45 degrees [Celsius] and this is our record," the team commander said.
In this temperature regime, the personnel accomplished objectives according to plan, he added.
"The drones were prepared, insulated and protected where necessary and an operator’s gear was improved to operate with a joystick at such a temperature," he specified, adding that the skills gained in the exercise were used in the special military operation area where the team’s personnel were also engaged.
The team’s experience shows that drones can accomplish missions in extreme cold conditions, he specified.
"A major aspect is to protect a power source - storage batteries - from cooling and open elements and microchips from snow and humidity," he said.
Yakutsk accommodates a training center, which trains personnel in operating reconnaissance UAVs and FPV drones and is working out a program of training ground drone operators, the officer said.
"At first, the personnel sharpen their skills on simulators and software prepared by Yakutsk programmers and after that they switch over to practical exercises, gaining skills both in flight drills and combat employment: specifics, methods and technical training," he explained.
"For example, it is necessary to fix a crashed drone or modernize it over a short period of time because objectives can be very diverse. Proceeding from the assigned missions, a fighter is required to prepare a weapon, in our case, an unmanned vehicle," the officer said.