The Zala T-20 drone, which flew 420 km between the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin using the "Geokosmos" communication and navigation system, demonstrated the possibility of safe integration into airspace. This was reported by the press service of Zala Aero.
The Zala T-20 operated the route as a full participant in air traffic, creating a precedent for the safe coexistence of autonomous and manned aircraft in shared airspace.
The conducted tests confirmed the readiness of technological solutions for the implementation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and their control systems, the company summarized.
Zala T-20 drone specifications:
- Flight time — 7 h.
- Range — 500 km
- Maximum takeoff weight — 17 kg
- Payload mass — 2.5 kg
- Flight altitude — up to 5000 m
- Speed — up to 110 km/h
- Launch — pneumatic launcher
- Landing — parachute
In early July, Sakhalin Oblast Governor Valery Limarenko reported that the Zala T-20 covered a distance of over 400 km. The aircraft flew between Mendeleevo airfield on Kunashir and the "Pushisty" drone port on Sakhalin. The flight was conducted without imposing restrictions on manned aircraft. The drone was in the air for about 5 hours.