Amid the Russian military build-up in the Arctic, the country’s Navy has tested a new short-wave infrared (SWIR) camera capable of “seeing through” snow and camouflage in complex weather conditions, according to reports.
The ‘Umka-2021’ drills held last month were particularly important, which saw a major Russian military activity including the surfacing of three of Russia’s most advanced nuclear ballistic missile submarines for the first time in history.
These submarines conducted live-fire tests of nuclear-tipped missiles. The Russians also tested many new technologies, including a new short-wave infrared (SWIR) sensor capable of seeing through the snow and camouflage, Russian news agency TASS reported.
This camera is made by specialists of the Orion Research and Production Association of Shvabe Group, part of the state tech corporation Rostec. According to the developers, the camera can be used round-the-clock, even in low light conditions, and is robustly leak-sealed against any harsh climatic condition.
“The spectrum of 0.9 to 1.7 micrometers, in which the camera operates, allows seeing camouflage coatings and camouflaged objects. It is also capable of locating laser sources and any thermal flashes, for example, gunshots, salvos, and signals,” Shvabe Group press office said.
Russia is amassing unprecedented military might in the Arctic and testing its newest weapons in a region freshly ice-free due to the climate emergency https://t.co/VHHDrrazbv
— CNN (@CNN) April 5, 2021
“In a perspective, our camera could be of interest for the Russian armed forces as the broad scope of its application includes providing security and exercising control of the situation overland and also rendering assistance in naval navigation,” the press office quoted Orion Research and Production Association acting CEO Pavel Abramov as saying.
The Umka-2021 exercises also saw the first-ever flight of the MiG-31 fighter jets over the North Pole, marking a significant moment for Russian naval aviation. However, what worried the western militaries more is the testing of ‘Poseidon’ nuclear-propelled, nuclear-armed torpedo, details of which are not yet available.
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