"Drone operations can bring breakthrough solutions."
The Republic was one of the first regions in the Far East to begin large-scale use of drones. What is the strategic goal of this work—developing domestic expertise, exporting technology, or addressing domestic challenges? And how does federal funding influence these plans?
The use of unmanned aerial systems in Yakutia began quite a long time ago—back in 2011, when this type of technology was just emerging. Back then, drones were primarily used by rescue services.
It's already clear that drones can bring breakthrough solutions, especially in delivering goods to hard-to-reach settlements.
We're discussing this with Russian Post, among others. This includes work on forest fires—not just their detection, as is currently the case, but also their suppression, search and rescue operations, monitoring, and various land management issues. Agricultural drones could be actively used there. And the federal funding received will significantly accelerate the development of unmanned technologies here in Yakutia.
"Yakutia is a natural testing ground for technology in a harsh climate."
The Polar Research and Production Center is being created as a separate division of the Yakutia Technopark. It will not be a separate entity, but rather a part of the technopark. The technopark will therefore act as the managing company for the Polar Research and Production Center. Residents will be established within the technopark, who will be able to enter into agreements and work in the field of unmanned aerial systems.
For example, we are considering Geoscan, one of Russia's largest companies, as a potential anchor resident of the technology park for unmanned technologies. In the future, Polar Park is expected to become an incubator for startups, providing them with access to the production infrastructure we will create by the end of the year.
"You know, Russia's diverse climate demands a unique approach to production challenges. The Polar Scientific and Production Center will be focused on addressing these challenges. Overall, 48 research and production centers are expected to be established in the country by 2030, if I'm not mistaken, and Polar is one of them. Its unique feature is that drones that successfully fly in central Russia cannot operate in our conditions—in severe frosts, the equipment simply turns into scrap metal or plastic, depending on what it's made of."
The center is intended to become a scientific laboratory and testing ground for materials, technologies, and software solutions necessary for the reliable operation of drones. This is what makes Yakutia special: we are a natural testing ground for technology in a harsh climate, and we must capitalize on this advantage.
In terms of personnel training, the need is enormous: thousands of specialists—operators, engineers, and technicians—are needed. An aviation training center is needed to teach unmanned systems and develop joint programs that will enable the implementation of various drone deployment scenarios, such as firefighting.
Training courses, including for flight school cadets, are essential to train operators of large-scale unmanned aerial vehicles. Today, these are no longer just drones, but fully-fledged unmanned helicopters and even airplanes. There is already talk of de-manning An-2-class aircraft. Therefore, the personnel who maintain and operate these systems must be extremely highly qualified.
"In the next 5-10 years, drone delivery will become commonplace."
Looking ahead, what role will drones play in the lives of the average Yakutian? Will drone delivery become as commonplace as calling a taxi or emergency medicine delivery to remote villages today?
I'm confident that in the next 5-10 years, drone delivery of cargo, including orders from marketplaces, will become common practice, especially in hard-to-reach areas. The payload capacity of drones and unmanned aerial systems will increase. For example, I believe that unmanned airships will soon take to the skies, filling a niche between large aircraft and small drones that can carry a few kilograms. Because airships can already carry half a ton, and in the future, up to a ton—exactly what's needed for delivering cargo to remote settlements, including in the Arctic.
Let me emphasize once again: forest fire suppression is a very serious problem for Yakutia. Drones are already actively used for fire detection. New technologies and equipment must be developed for fire suppression here, allowing drones to extinguish most fires at an early stage. This is a realistic prospect for the next 5-10 years.
— Can you tell us about the "Air Ferry" service between Yakutsk and Nizhny Bestyakh, which launched this summer? What's the demand for the service, what are the project's economics, and when will the pilot project be able to break even?
"The Air Ferry project was initially conceived as a pilot project. Now, it can be said to have been successfully implemented: several hundred flights have already been completed, delivering over half a ton of cargo. The service is in demand—requests are emerging for flights not only to other towns and cities from Yakutsk but even within the metropolitan area."
But here, of course, we need to continue working on issues related to cost-effectiveness. Currently, the flight frequency is insufficient to talk about full cost-effectiveness. This capacity needs to be ensured. Nevertheless, the project has become a solid foundation for further expansion—not only around Yakutsk, but also to other regions of the republic. Today, it is a regular flight, operated in full compliance with Rosaeronavigation's flight requirements.
