Rostec's uncrewed boat delivered election ballots to Valaam, covering 45 km across Lake Ladoga. The trip marked the first time election documentation was delivered to the island by an uncrewed surface vessel: the boat departed from Sortavala and completed the crossing in waves up to three points.
Over 140 voters are registered on Valaam, so the uncrewed boat effectively replaced conventional water transport on the route to the remote polling station.
Before the main voyage, the vessel was tested on the route from Niyemelyansalmi Bay to the central harbor of the Valaam Monastery. During the crossing, communication with the shore operator was maintained by a Supercam UAV, which acted as a repeater.
The boat is about 7 m long, develops a cruising speed of up to 40 knots, or almost 75 km/h, and is designed to carry up to 1 ton of cargo. Its range reaches 1000 km – more than 20 times the length of the 45-kilometer crossing to Valaam.
Tests in several regions should show how suitable such a scheme is for delivering goods to areas where water transport remains the primary mode of communication.