Russian builder tests unmanned cargo boat for Ob and Irtysh River supply runs
Russia's Pskov Boat
Shipyard has tested an unmanned cargo boat on Lake Pskov, with a representative
of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (KM) attending as an expert
observer. According to KM, its
representative assessed the stability of remote control, the execution of a
route in automatic mode and the vessel's operating characteristics against
contemporary safety requirements. The
boat has a length of eight metres, a beam of two metres (2.5 metres including
buoyancy sponsons), and a maximum cargo capacity of 1,500 kg. Propulsion is
provided by a 115hp (86kW) petrol outboard.
Onboard equipment includes a GNSS receiver and display, a heading
sensor, radar, video cameras, a weather sensor, a communications module, an AIS
transponder, and an autopilot capable of maintaining a prescribed track.
"The robotic cargo boat will soon begin
delivering construction materials, food, fuel and other goods to remote
settlements on the Irtysh and Ob Rivers, with no people aboard; this is a
completely uncrewed boat," said Pskov Boat Shipyard founder Vladimir
Chulkov.
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