Russia’s Unmanned Boat Successfully Tested in the Barents Sea
The new Russian prototype marks a major step toward fully automated cargo delivery to remote Arctic territories.
Breaking Waves in the Arctic
In the icy waters of the Barents Sea, Russia has successfully tested its autonomous vessel prototype, "Heroes of the Fog". The unmanned boat traveled 50 kilometers across open water in fully autonomous mode, demonstrating impressive speed and control. Designed for logistical missions in the country’s most remote northern regions, the project aims to make year-round cargo deliveries possible without human crews.
This test marked the prototype’s first voyage in the Barents Sea. The boat departed from Ura Bay and headed toward Kildin Island, maintaining an average speed of 60 kilometers per hour. Developers verified its key parameters, including communication range, maneuverability, and seaworthiness.
Logistics for the Extreme North
The project’s uniqueness lies in its practical purpose. Based on this prototype, developers plan to build a larger vessel capable of delivering cargo to restricted areas such as Ostrovnoy, a closed Arctic settlement without land access to other regions. The current model already supports a payload capacity of up to one metric ton.
One key factor for scaling up this technology is communications infrastructure.
Given the Murmansk region’s strategic location, he emphasized that the signal would be heavily protected against interference.
Russia’s maritime robotics sector has been gaining momentum. Earlier this year, the All-Russian Research Institute of Civil Defense and Emergency Situations unveiled "Kalan", a catamaran drone capable of performing diver-like underwater tasks, while Sitronics KT and the logistics operator CDEK announced a partnership to launch unmanned maritime cargo delivery systems.
