Unmanned aerial vehicles produced by Russia’s ZALA Aero (part of the Kalashnikov Group within the state tech corporation Rostec) have been tested in extreme Antarctic conditions, ZALA Aero Special Projects Head Nikita Khamitov told TASS on April 15.

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ZALA 421-08 M  (Picture source: Zala Aero)

"We have operators: female scientists in the Antarctic. They are using the ZALA 421-08 small unmanned aerial vehicle," he said.

ZALA drones are Russia’s sole unmanned aerial vehicles that fly both in the northern and southern poles, Khamitov stressed. "Our operators used the drones at the lowest temperature of minus 52 degrees Celsius," he specified.

The ZALA 421-08M is a lightweight drone that can be hand-launched. It has a flight time of over an hour and a half, a communications range of 15 to 30 km and a maximum weight of 2.5 kg. As its payload, it can carry a thermal imager with a video camera. The drone’s fixed design, light weight and smart control system allow for its operation by the personnel with the minimum training level.

ZALA Aero is a leading Russian developer and manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles and mobile systems. The company has been part of the Kalashnikov Group since January 2015.

ZALA 421-08 at Integrated Safety and Security Exhibition 2012 (Picture source: Vitaly V. Kuzmin)

ZALA 421-16E, another UAV by Zala Aero designed for Arctic missions(Picture source: Zala Aero)

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