In recent years, Arctic residents have been excited by the idea of using drones in the Arctic. Indeed, why risk human life flying over thousands of kilometres of freezing tundra when you can send a remote-controlled robot on missions? Moreover, according to the Unmanned Aircraft Systems national project that took effect on 1 January 2024, Russia should develop an independent economic sector related to creating and using UAVs.

As part of implementing this strategy, the Arctic serves as an almost ideal testing ground for unmanned vehicle capabilities. In 2024, Yamal became one of three regions participating in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems national project, which will include building a UAS test centre and several test sites. An airfield with all necessary infrastructure, an air traffic control centre and repair shops will be constructed. In mid-July, the initial construction costs of the project also became clear. A contract from the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area Capital Construction and Investment Directorate worth RUB 84.3 mn appeared on the government procurement website. The supplier will have to deliver two hangars for maintenance, repair and parking of special equipment, as well as a boiler house building, to the Obdorsk base near Salekhard. By the way, YNAA was the first Russian region to introduce UAVs for tracking forest fires—drones patrol two-thirds of the autonomous district's territory, and 87% of fires in 2023 were extinguished at an early stage.

The Nenets Autonomous Area, in turn, is developing legal regulations for UAV activities. In early July, the first official UAV operator, EMPAERO, was announced. The company has official permission to use drones to monitor pipelines of extractive companies to prevent spills, as well as to deliver supplies to remote settlements. Also this year, the company promised to present its development that should carry loads up to 25 kg for distances over 300 km. By the way, during tests last year, the cost of such logistics was calculated—it turned out to be 18 times cheaper than existing alternatives. This was a test model of the R-75 UAV produced by Ecolibri, a partner of the Nenets Autonomous Area government. The device is designed to operate in harsh climatic conditions, with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities as its distinctive feature. In mid-June, the National Fund for Technical Initiatives signed an agreement with the company to invest RUB 270 mn in developing and mass-producing UAVs.   

Drones can do more than just transport cargo or monitor forest fires—they are a valuable tool for scientists. For example, UAVs can continuously monitor atmospheric conditions. They make it possible to determine air composition near industrial facilities, study local areas, and solve various other tasks, Stepan Kalmykov, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told TASS. According to him, this project is now handled by Moscow State University's Marine Research Centre, which collaborates with Rosatom.

In addition to building infrastructure, new solutions are emerging. Scientists from Irkutsk National Research Technical University have developed a new unmanned aircraft model designed for geophysical surveys. According to Alexander Parshin, Scientific Director of the Siberian School of Geosciences, the device is assembled from 'available materials using 3D printing and CNC milling technologies,' which reduces production costs and creates a basis for mass manufacturing. Weighing only 8 kg, the UAV can carry a high-precision magnetometer and scintillation gamma-ray detector, enabling high-accuracy geophysical surveys at low altitudes. Engineers note that their creation is best suited for work in the Arctic and Central Asian steppes.

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