Hermes Drone Management Software Added to Russia’s Unified Software Register
The new status will help the company market its IT product to major customers.
As uncrewed systems continue to advance, industry experts increasingly emphasize that improving hardware is no longer the only, or even the most important, priority. Developing advanced software is becoming just as critical. Software determines how effectively these systems can be controlled and how reliably they can communicate.
Simplifying Equipment Maintenance
The Hermes software platform, developed by NPO Kaisant, a resident of the Skolkovo Foundation, has recently been added to the Unified Register of Russian Software maintained by the Ministry of Digital Development. This status confirms that the platform meets the applicable requirements and makes it eligible for use by major customers in both the public and private sectors.
Hermes works with transmitters, receivers, ground control stations and repeaters that carry information between a drone and its operator. According to its developers, the software platform helps reduce the risk of losing expensive equipment and disrupting operations. It can also improve productivity while making devices and related equipment easier to maintain.
A Unified Software Environment
The system allows users to create a unified software environment and configure and update devices centrally. This approach reduces the labor required for maintenance and speeds up the deployment of new features.
One of the key advantages of Hermes is its ability to maintain reliable communications with drones, even in challenging conditions. Multi-band redundancy plays a major role. If communication through one receiver is lost, commands can still reach the drone through other channels.
Protection Against Unauthorized Access
Another critical feature is protection of the control link through AES-128 encryption and an anti-spoofing mode. Packets that arrive in an incorrect sequence are ignored. These safeguards reduce the risk of unauthorized interference and the substitution of control commands, making drone operations safer and more reliable.
“Skolkovo's support played an important role in bringing the product to industrial readiness. We support the project at every stage, from prototyping and testing to serial deployment and ongoing support. Taking part in major industry events, including Startup Village, where the project was presented to Dmitry Medvedev, shows the high level of interest the development has attracted from both the government and the industry,” says Ilya Vorobyov, director of the Space Technologies Cluster at the Skolkovo Foundation.
Further development and promotion of Hermes align closely with one of the key priorities of Russia's national strategy for the development of uncrewed systems. The strategy specifically highlights redundant communications channels, resistance to interference and protection against unauthorized access to information.
Drones are also playing an increasingly important role in economic development. Russian companies already use them to monitor mineral deposits, pipelines, power lines, construction sites and agricultural land. As these applications expand, demand for high-quality drone management software is likely to grow.
A New Market Segment Takes Shape
Russia has been actively developing drone management technologies for several years. In 2022, for example, the Siberian Aerospace Journal published a study on improving the security of wireless communications channels used by small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The research examined the risks of unauthorized access and technical approaches to protecting transmitted data.
In 2024, Russia tested a system for controlling a drone via satellite. A drone developed by Geoscan was connected to the Gonets satellite communications network. During the test flights, the system received 218 telemetry messages and transmitted three control messages.
In June 2026, the Ruselectronics holding company, part of the state-owned Rostec Corporation, unveiled a radio communications system built around specialized modems designed to resist interference.
In other words, drone management software is now one of the fastest-growing segments of Russia's IT market. Greater competition should encourage developers to make their tools easier to use and less expensive to deploy at scale.
