(And you don’t think they’re prepping for war) Russia to Open Arctic Military Drone Base 420 Miles off the Alaskan Coast

Greetings,

Russia to Open Arctic Military Drone Base 420 Miles off the Alaskan Coast

BY DAMIEN SHARKOV

Russia has announced plans to build a drone base for military reconnaissance in a town just 420 miles off mainland Alaska and just over 300 miles off the US state’s St Lawrence Island, Russia’s state news agency reported on Thursday.

“The command of the eastern military district in charge of the military development of the Arctic zone has moved forward with plans to form an unmanned aerial vehicle division,” Alexandr Gordeev, spokesperson for the district said.

Gordeev explained the base will be stationed around the Russian town of Anadyr, considered the administrative centre of the country’s eastern-most region of Chukotka and currently recruitment is underway for experienced personnel to be sent there.

According to Gordeev beside functioning as an air drone base, the facility will also be equipped with other “mobile units” operated by entirely by professional servicemen as opposed to conscripts, who still make up a large proportion of Russia’s ground forces.

The new base’s key objective will be to provide air reconnaissance for the Russian navy in its eastern waters which directly border U.S. waters.

Since last year Russia has been in an ongoing territorial dispute with Canada over both countries’ presence in the Arctic. Following an appeal from Canada to the UN for increased control over the Arctic, which the North American nation currently shares with Russia, the US, Denmark and Norway, Russia responded by strengthening military presence in its regions close to the North Pole.

The stretch of land known as the continental shelf which remains out of the reach of any of the five countries is speculated to be rich in gas and oil.

This latest move is also part of a long-term strategy on Russia’s part of modernising its military with unmanned air vehicles. General major Edward Cherkasov also announced today the armed forces’ Chemical Corps is also developing a drone programme.

Moscow intends to modernise its specialist branch, which deals with chemical, biological and nuclear threats, by updating 70% of its facilities to improve efficiency of operation and long distance reconnaissance, Cherkasov added…..more here

Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2014 Hiram's 1555 Blog