Drones Monitor Airport Equipment in Arkhangelsk

A specialized structural unit has been formed within Arkhangelsk's 2nd Joint Air Squadron.

ARKHANGELSK, October 12. /TASS/. Arkhangelsk Region Deputy Prime Minister Igor Muraev said that Vaskovo Airport in Arkhangelsk uses drones to monitor equipment performance. The use of drones helps to speed up the adjustment of equipment parameters.

The press service of the regional government quoted him as saying: "Our specialists use drones to fly around the installations of the runway light system at Vaskovo airport. The monitoring results are used to assess the necessary adjustments to the equipment's parameters and keep it in good condition." "The use of drones significantly speeds up such work. Major federal airports have expressed interest in this experience."

A specialized structural unit is formed in the 2nd Arkhangelsk United Air Squadron. This unit is active in the field of design, development and production of UAV, exploitation of unmanned systems and also their exploitation.

The representative of the region presented projects for the use of unmanned aircraft at the 7th International Conference on Shipbuilding and Development of Advanced Equipment for the Development of the Arctic and the Continental Shelf, OMR-2026, in St. Petersburg.

In addition to using drones and unmanned marine vessels to deliver cargo to remote and inaccessible areas, the region plans to use autonomous systems in forestry and agriculture, control and surveillance activities, emergency response and organizing sports events. Currently, there are several training programs for the industry in the region.

"In 2025, more than 600 children and adolescents in the Arkhangelsk region will complete additional training programs, and 120 students of the technical faculty will master the operation of unmanned aircraft systems," said the representative of the region. "NArFU (Arctic Federal University) has this year introduced software engineering of unmanned systems in the Arctic master's program in the already existing master's program Life cycle management of unmanned systems and their safety assurance."

This region uses unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the forestry sector. The local forestry department has purchased 45 drones to control the fire situation as well as detect illegal activities, including logging and waste storage.

In addition to the introduction of drones, the Arkhangelsk region considers it very important to develop competencies in the use of autonomous maritime systems for delivering cargo to remote and inaccessible areas.

The deputy prime minister said that the region's medium-term task is to create a new autonomous ship called Clipper, which is capable of carrying various cargoes, including containers.

He explained: "According to our estimates, this particular floating format, which can carry a 20-foot container, is the optimal solution for building routes and increasing the economic impact of such transportation." "This area has all the conditions for testing, developing the necessary technologies and piloting unmanned vessels: maritime areas, navigable rivers, sea and river ports, islands and remote areas."