Russia Switches Fishing Fleet to Domestic Satellite Systems
The country’s fishing fleet has been fully transitioned to homegrown navigation technologies.
Russia’s fishing fleet is now operating exclusively on domestic satellite systems, after all vessels were switched to the new setup in 2026, according to Roscosmos. The fleet now relies on three national satellite systems – Gonets (Courier), Yamal, and Express.
The Gonets satellite system has been in use since 2017. Over that period, it has been upgraded, and more vessels have connected to the network. Today, its performance significantly exceeds that of foreign counterparts, Roscosmos said.
Gonets Handles the Data
Gonets transmits data and provides mobile satellite communications services. Its satellite constellation operates in low Earth orbit. Russia’s fishing fleet currently numbers close to 1,000 vessels.
Satellite manufacturing is also expanding rapidly in Russia. At an unmanned technologies exhibition in January 2026, developers unveiled Zorkiy (Sharp-Eyed), a satellite designed for remote sensing and geospatial data collection. A constellation of 300 Zorkiy satellites is planned to be deployed in orbit within a year.
