As part of the Aviation Day of EMERCOM of Russia, experts noted the importance of drones in the aviation support of measures to prevent emergency situations and eliminate their consequences.

So, over the past year, EMERCOM unmanned aircraft performed more than 7.7 thousand flights. For 2100 hours of flight, almost 12 thousand sq. km. were examined, more than 90 fires with an area of over 2 thousand sq. km. were revealed, 270 facilities were examined.

During search operations using unmanned aircraft, 37 people were found lost in forests and hard-to-reach areas, including 16 people in the Volga River Delta.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Russian Emergencies Ministry began in 2009 on the basis of the Centrospas Unit in Zhukovsky near Moscow.

Over the past period, unmanned aerial systems (hereinafter referred to as UAS) of the EMERCOM of Russia were used for aviation support of emergency prevention and elimination of their consequences associated with large forest, peat, landscape fires, floods, industrial accidents, during search and rescue, emergency and rescue, and other urgent work.

At the moment, the structure of unmanned aircraft of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia is represented by 80 organizational and controlling units and 170 units operating UAS included in it. The staff number of specialists is more than 800 people. The departmental fleet has about 400 UAS units.

Now, the Ministry is aimed at quantitative and qualitative upgrade of the UAS fleet to 2025 with the equipment of unmanned aircraft units with modern multi-functional UAS, located on the basis of mobile control centers - off-road vehicles of various modifications, ensuring their mobility and autonomy.

Included in the UAS unmanned aircraft of an plane, helicopter and combined type with unified interchangeable and different targets, range and duration of flight, the ability to be used in various climatic conditions, allow performing the whole range of reconnaissance, special and transport tasks, including aerial photography of the area for the subsequent creation of orthophotomaps and 3D terrain models.

This approach will make it possible to provide reliable cover for the territories of the subjects of the Russian Federation, transport highways, potentially dangerous and important infrastructure facilities, timely effective air support of measures to prevent emergency situations and eliminate their consequences, including large scale.

For the effective use of UAS in the interests of the Ministry, a management system for unmanned aviation units and a system for the use of UAS have been formed, which provide a solution to the whole range of tasks assigned to unmanned aircraft of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. 

A system for training qualified specialists of unmanned aviation has been created and continues to improve, including professional retraining at the Academy of Civil Protection of the EMERCOM of Russia, specializing in the operation of UAS, retraining of specialists for full-time UAS, professional training in units and advanced training.