MOSCOW, April 9 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations plans to equip all of the country’s regions with unmanned aerial vehicles to aid in disaster relief and other tasks, a source in the ministry told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
“As part of the effort to strengthen an airborne component, all of the operational groups of the central administrative boards will be equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles and the staff will be trained to use them,” the source said.
Drones are already used to monitor fires and floods, particularly at night and in adverse weather conditions when the use of manned aviation is dangerous and restricted. Drones have high mobility and can provide airborne monitoring of any part of the country. They can also be used in search and rescue operations.
Specialists coordinate the drones’ flight via ground control stations, which can be as simple as a laptop. The drones transmit information to the station online, including photos, videos, and precise coordinates of the emergency.
By next year, the Ministry of Emergency Situations expects to have modernized 80 percent of its equipment. The ministry plans to purchase 30 aircraft, including 20 helicopters, 8 amphibious planes, and two medical rapid response planes. The ministry is spending 43 billion rubles ($1.2 billion) on the program.
