Experts: Russia will use drones mostly to take cargo to hard…

ST. PETERSBURG, December 13. /TASS/. The future of unmanned aerial vehicles in Russia is related to supplies of cargo, weighing a few hundred kilograms, to hard-to-reach areas, while Western companies plan to use UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to deliver maximum 15-kilo parcels within cities. Using drones in low-populated vast areas of Siberia and Arctic and first experiments were on agenda of the Arctic: Present and Future international forum.

“We have analyzed the structure of UAV transportation in western companies <…> they are focused on shipping cargo up to 15 kilograms and mostly within cities,” Yuri Zhestkov of the Airburg Bureau for Promising Design said. “The social-economic development of this country, its geography, climate and nature, as well as the economy’s structure set absolutely different tasks for designers of cargo unmanned aerial complexes. Our company’s specialists say that of demand could be transportation of cargo, weighing between 100 and 500 kilograms, and today, at the forum, I’ve heard the range of 300-800 kilograms. Those will be supplies to low-populated areas or industrial areas with insufficient infrastructures.”

According to the expert, development of cargo shipments by the unmanned aviation is in the immediate future. The service will become more realistic as companies, working in the Arctic, get ready to use drones and when the market sees reliable vehicles with required range and load capacities.

Tomsk experiment

A leader in using unmanned aerial vehicles could be the Tomsk region, which huge and low-populated areas are covered with swamps and forests. The region plans a project, which has received necessary legislative support, to test the technologies.

“The government has got the right to announce an experimental legal regime to allow large drones to take off and work legally in commercial shipments. <…> This project has been prepared, it offers the experimental legal regime for three years, and the commercial exploitation will be available in the entire Tomsk region. We hope the project will be approved soon – it has been presented to the government,” Alexei Minayev of the Ministry for Economic Development said.

The Tomsk region has been chosen for the experiment because the region is known for many settlements with minimal transport options, and, moreover, the latter are available in winter only. At many developing deposits the transport accessibility is at the zero level – getting there is possible by helicopters only. Noteworthy, an hour-long flight by helicopter is very expensive.

“In situations like those, of course, there are no alternatives to drones,” the ministry’s representative added.

The trials

During the project’s term, specialists will conduct control and monitoring, Minayev said, stressing all reports will be analyzed jointly with the Ministry of Transport and Rosaviatsiya (the aviation authority). The experimental legal regulations may be adjusted, he added. The Tomsk experiment will generate recommendations regarding the technology’s safety and convenience. The biggest result will be “an answer to the question regarding the use of regular and unmanned aircraft in one aerial space.”

The Tomsk project has been a base for another program in cooperation with the Russian national postal service. The project will be implemented in four regions, including Chukotka and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous region.

In November, the Russian Post and the Aeromax company reported successful trials to deliver by drones cargo to distanced settlements in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous region. The experiment featured a SH-350 helicopter-type vehicle. It made a few flights Salekhard – Aksarka – Salekhard with a test cargo. The route was 53 km long. Before end of 2024, drones will work on 10 routes in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous region, the report said.

“We have tested the entire cycle,” Aeromax’ representative Sergei Yurchuk told the forum participants. “We were there, tested the system, took the cargo back and forwards.”

About forum

The 11th international forum Arctic Present and Future took place in St. Petersburg on December 2-4. It was organized by the Association of Polar Explorers with the support from the Federation Council, the State Duma, the Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic, the Foreign Ministry, and other authorities. TASS was the event’s general information partner.

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