Russia unveils doomsday drone for atomic battlefield scenarios
The Russians are developing equipment that will be useful on an atomic battlefield. One of these devices is the Doomsday Drone. The evocative name of this Russian machine matches its intended purpose: measuring radiation levels.
7:26 AM EDT, August 4, 2024
The TASS agency, the Kremlin's official propaganda outlet, reported on the new equipment. The Russians have not disclosed any technical specifications, providing only a few operational details.
The Doomsday Drone is said to have a range of 1,640 feet to 1.24 miles and a setup time of just 30 seconds. It can be operated from mobile platforms and launched from armored vehicles and has a flight duration of 20 minutes.
The device is intended for various scenarios, including reconnaissance of contaminated areas along a convoy route or analyzing damage from an atomic explosion, even inside buildings.
Atomic doomsday drone
"I am confident that common sense will prevail and the world will refrain from using nuclear weapons and our doomsday drone will never be needed. And yet we believe that it would [be] a crime not to prepare for even the worst scenarios," stated Dmitry Kuzyakin, director of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Systems.
Commenting on the Doomsday Drone, Dmitry Kuzyakin emphasized that the equipment would have the best features of FPV drones, such as speed and maneuverability, allowing it to navigate even in challenging environments like building interiors.
Instead of a combat payload, the new Russian drone will carry a set of sensors to measure the concentration of harmful substances or a dosimeter to assess radioactive contamination along its flight path.
Kuzyakin noted that various types of flying reconnaissance platforms already exist, which also measure radiation. However, these are expensive and complicated pieces of equipment. In contrast, the Doomsday Drone is designed to be simple and inexpensive, making it accessible for soldiers to use directly on or near the battlefield.
