Unmanned airships could become the foundation for establishing a cargo delivery network to remote regions of the Arctic. The idea of returning to the roots of air travel was proposed by Mikhail Ushakov, Head of JSC 'SEVER STT,' at the EEF 2024. He suggested establishing manufacturing facilities and design bureaus in the Russian Far East. Similar ideas have been expressed several times over the past decade, but so far, the triumphant march of airships through the Arctic skies remains at the project discussion stage and the creation of experimental prototypes. Scientists, engineers and authorities are still trying to determine whether it is worth investing billions in unmanned airships.

Back in 2014, the Vega Corporation presented the idea of an unmanned airship capable of flying for months. It was initially proposed that the airship would provide stable communication while operating at high altitudes without the need for refuelling with fuel or inert gas. Currently, the corporation's development, called DP-29, can carry up to 5 kg of commercial payload, fly at an altitude of at least 300 m, with a maximum speed of about 15 m/s. It can automatically maintain its course in the event of a loss of communication with the coordination centre and operate within a temperature range of –20 to +30°C. These parameters are somewhat insufficient for the remote regions of the Arctic. However, the company did not claim that their development was intended to become the foundation for a cargo delivery system in the Arctic. Then, in 2017, an article appeared in the collection of the 'Forum of Young Scientists,' in which third-year student V.F. Protopopova from the North-Eastern Federal University expressed the idea of using unmanned airships as a tool for ensuring northern supply deliveries. At that time, the student's ideas could have been considered science fiction, but just five years later, established scientists began debating the practicality of this technology in the pages of Vedomosti.

By that time, the Airships of Yakutia consortium had been developing a wind-resistant airship Skipper for a year. This aircraft is designed to carry up to 60 tons of payload, fly up to 3,000 km and reach speeds of up to 206 km/h. Wind resistance has been highlighted as a key advantage of the model for good reason—opponents of using airships in the North argue that strong crosswinds require significant energy expenditure for stabilising the aircraft's movement. This undermines all the advantages of the aircraft—this is particularly noted by Eduard Bagdasaryan, General Director of JSC Aerocon. In turn, Sergey Bendin, Head of the Engineering Group at the Airship Initiative Design Bureau AEROSMENA, argues that a zeppelin with a balloon 200 m in diameter will have sufficient stability due to its mass. In addition to powerful northern winds, airships require the construction of developed infrastructure, including docking masts, hangars and refuelling stations. Today, zeppelins are primarily filled with helium (after the Hindenburg disaster in 1937, no one wants to use hydrogen), which still needs to be delivered to the Arctic in sufficient quantities.

Nevertheless, the potentially high autonomy of the devices keeps designers restless. In 2022, the Platform of the National Technological Initiative reported the creation of the Ekodisolar airship project, which is powered by solar panels. The zeppelin was intended for emergency services—capable of speeds up to 130 km/h, the drone was designed to conduct reconnaissance, deliver cargo and transport medical supplies to regions with challenging terrain. In 2024, the Institute of Thermophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences promised to present a new unmanned airship at the Technoprom-2024 exhibition in Novosibirsk, capable of vertical takeoff and landing thanks to new cyclorotor engines. The six-metre device is designed for transporting small cargo.

By the way, Russia is not alone in its attempts to build an efficient zeppelin. In the United States, tests of the unmanned airship Sceye HAPS have been completed, which is designed to provide Internet access in remote areas. It can ascend to an altitude of 20 km and is equipped with solar panels for autonomous power. In addition to providing communication, it can monitor climate conditions and track natural disasters.

Today, experts discuss the use of airships in the Arctic as a potential way to reduce transportation costs for cargo. If the aircraft can lift over 30 tons and fly further than 300 km, the cost of its operation and transportation of goods is four times lower than that of a helicopter. This should offset the costs of building the infrastructure. Controlling the airship from the ground will significantly enhance the safety of transportation and enable prolonged expeditions for cartographic surveys, exploration of new deposits and more. Not least, experts are also concerned about the environmental friendliness of airships—they emit significantly fewer pollutants into the atmosphere compared to conventional aircraft. However, the next step is to actually build the airship itself.

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