Ilsur Metshin: «A special mention is people’s defense industry. Your team is producing devices that save the lives of our soldiers»

The Mayor of the city visited the production site of ground-based drones known as «Little Brother»

The Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin visited the production facility of Arkodim enterprise that developed and produced the first items of the «Little Brother» ground-based drone. The tracked vehicle is designed to move the wounded away from the battlefield. The drone can move a soldier to the nearest shelter within a range of 100 meters. The Mayor promised to encourage entrepreneurs to purchase the drones and ship them to military units.

The development of the «Little Brother» drone began of on the initiative of the Arkodim engineers in the spring of 2023. Artyom Barakhtin, the Director General of the company, was inspired by stories of the soldiers of the special military opeartion about how it was difficult to remove wounded soldiers from the battlefield because of the abundance of enemy unmanned flying vehicles. The evacuation team could be under fire. They needed a way to rescue the wounded without endangering other soldiers. As a result, the engineers developed a multi-functional unmanned tracked platform, named «Little Brother».

The control system has a range of up to 1–2 kilometers, with a repeat distance of more than 10 kilometers. The device is controlled using a remote controller and augmented reality glasses. The drone weighs 200 kilograms and can move at a speed of up to 15 kilometers per hour. It has a lifting capacity of up to 150 kilograms, and its power reserve is 8–12 hours.

«Since the beginning of the special military operation, there have been many people who wanted to help the front. Some collect medicine and food, some sew uniforms, others make trench candles. However, a special mention is the people’s defense industry, which produces what the front needs and saves the lives of our soldiers. Their work is invaluable», – the Mayor said.

The enterprise has developed several prototypes that were tested at landfills, including in a combat zone. After the tests, engineers made adjustments to improve the device. As a result, it can now be used not only to evacuate wounded from the combat zone but also to transport ammunition and food.

Various attachments can be installed on the drone. Engineers have developed six modules for the platform, including a remote-controlled turret, an all-round external camera, a tow bar, an auto-sight, and systems for installing mines, throwing smoke grenades, and mine clearance.

After the improvements, the drone received positive feedback from various military units.

«We will support your company and help attract interested entrepreneurs and customers to purchase a batch of these drone», – promised Ilsur Metshin.