Russian radar locators, fighter jets to be deployed in the Arctic – Defense Ministry
New radar locators are being set up on islands in the Arctic Ocean, with fighter jets soon to be deployed in the northern region as well, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.
“We have been talking a lot about building up Russian power in the Arctic. The armed forces are superfluous here. We have new hardware deployed on the islands of the Arctic Ocean,” Deputy Commander of Russian Aerospace Defense Kirill Makarov told Russian news agencies.
Russian military deploys surveillance drones in Arctic http://t.co/WHOTxFr6mfpic.twitter.com/hjykSTK0Ge
— RT (@RT_com) June 18, 2015
“It’s all being done for the Russian Federation to defend its interests across the country, and also promote its interests in the Arctic,” Makarov explained.
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The announcement came days after Russia’s Takhion and Eleron-3 military drones started making reconnaissance and monitoring flights in the Arctic.
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In March, large-scale military drills to test the readiness of Russia’s armed forces to counter challenges in the northern regions were launched. Some 38,000 troops, as well as dozens of ships and submarines, and over a hundred jets and choppers took part in the drills.
In April, Russian paratroopers made history by being the first ever to successfully land on a drifting block of ice in the Arctic Ocean. The troopers were also tasked with setting up a base very close to the North Pole.
