Russia company makes drones for Arctic work
Photo: Zala Aero
The ZALA Arctic drones are capable of successfully solving both civilian and military tasks, according to maker Kalashnikov.
Russian small arms manufacturer Kalashnikov presented the ZALA Arctic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) adapted for work in Arctic latitudes at the eighth international forum, “The Arctic: the Present and the Future,” reports Russian state news agency TASS.
The drone has its own GIRSAM alternative navigation system developed specially for the navigation of both UAVs and the ground-and water-based users amid the suppression or the absence of GPS or GLONASS signals.
The ZALA 421-08M and ZALA 421-16E systems are suited for their operation at freezing temperatures, which makes it possible to carry out numerous surveillance operations and regularly monitor the ice. The ZALA Arctic’s capabilities facilitate oil and gas extraction planning in areas where accurate weather and ice situation forecasts are required, according to the Kalashnikov website.
ZALA drones are equipped with the AIS system capable of detecting and identifying vessels at a distance of up to 100 kilometers, which exceeds the operational range of ground-based equipment. The user of the ZALA Arctic system receives information about each vessel: its name, size, course and speed.
The operators can autonomously live in the Arctic in a specially developed all-weather living module based on a marine 200-feet container. It is also designed for maintenance of unmanned aerial vehicles at the place of their operation.
“ZALA Arctic drones are capable of successfully solving civilian and military tasks for carrying out research in the Arctic zone, providing for the safety of sea shipping and the round-the-clock protection of the perimeters, organizing the full-fledged system of tracking the Arctic coast and territorial waters,” Kalashnikov Group CEO Vladimir Dmitriyev was quoted as saying.
The forum, “The Arctic: the Present and the Future,” organized by the Association of Polar Explorers, took place Dec. 5-7 in St. Petersburg.
About the Author: Tracy Cozzens
Senior Editor Tracy Cozzens joined GPS World magazine in 2006. She also is editor of GPS World’s newsletters and the sister website Geospatial Solutions. She has worked in government, for non-profits, and in corporate communications, editing a variety of publications for audiences ranging from federal government contractors to teachers.
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