Testing of new promising models of weapons, military and special hardware has been started by Russian military in Arctic.
Photo: Russian Defense Ministry
Specialists of the Main Tank-Automotive Directorate of the Russian Defense Ministry and representatives of the industry began to research and test new and promising models of weapons, military and special hardware in the Arctic, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov said on February 19.
In the next few weeks, the modern military hardware will move on the hardest route from the village of Tiksi, located in Sakha republic (Yakutia), to Kotelny Island and back on the ice cover of the Laptev Sea, straits between the islands and the coastal zone.
The military hardware and personnel of the expedition are provided with everything necessary for the march. The personnel is equipped with a modern arctic form and provided with Arctic fuel and essential food supplies.
In the course of the autonomous march, which length is more than 2,000 kilometers, some new technical solutions for military tracked vehicles will be evaluated. Reportedly, these technical solutions will allow to sustain self-supportability, necessary readiness for carrying out tasks, microclimate in habitable compartments, ability to move in deep snow in conditions of the polar night and during snowstorms, when a wind speed can reach more than 35 meters per second, as well as at low temperatures (up to -60 degrees centigrade).
Military snowmobiles, two-section crawler-transporters, special vehicles, equipped with low pressure tires, developed on a basis of the Trekol adverse terrain vehicle, and upgraded two-section motor carriers of the DT-10PM and DT-30PM series will be tested. In addition, Russian military will test prospective containers for vehicles, wood-framed inflatable quick-mounting tents for accommodation and preventive maintenance of military tracked hardware, stationary and portable tools for determining the thickness of ice, new water-purification and distillation units, and tools for medical service in arctic conditions.
Photo: Russian Defense Ministry
Photo: Russian Defense Ministry
Photo: Russian Defense Ministry
Photo: Russian Defense Ministry
Photo: Russian Defense Ministry
Photo: Russian Defense Ministry
I still get a kick out of the ’60 Minutes’ story aired in the U.S. decrying Russia’s ‘militarization of the arctic’ since the reporter was camped out with a U.S. military unit in the arctic that was testing underwater drones. I just cannot get over how stupid and incurious U.S. reporters have become.