IRKUT Corporation has started implementing the project on development of a Multipurpose Unmanned Aerial System (MUAS) in 2002. This system can be effectively employed for detection of forest fires at early stages, monitoring of oil and gas pipelines, power transmission lines, traffic routes, fishery, ice conditions, as well as engineer surveillance of natural calamities, such as earthquakes and floods, and technological accidents.

IRKUT Corporation began flight tests of experimental remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) end of this year. The first serial system will enter operation in the second - third quarter of 2004. The MUAS is customised for the needs of the Russia's Ministry of Disaster Relief.

The development of the Multipurpose Unmanned Aerial System was carried out with the participation of Israeli company "Aeronautics Unmanned Systems LTD". The remotely piloted vehicle is a lightweight platform with a maximum take-off weight of 200 kg. This platform is capable of performing patrol duties at the altitude of up to 6,000 m as far as 200 km from the home base for 14 hours.

The RPV's major advantages are ease of employment and enhanced capabilities of optronic and radio electronic equipment. The MUAS features a high level of the systems integration. This mobile system can be airlifted by ?n-26, Il-76, ?n-12 aircraft.

The images received by a TV camera and night-vision sensors are transferred in the real time mode to the ground control station located at a distance of up to 200 km. The IR camera allows detecting even the latent fire spots such as underground peat fires. The system enables to carry out round-the-clock monitoring and to reveal the seats of fire at an early stage over the territory of more than 60,000 sq. km.

The control station is capable of receiving data from two patrolling RPVs simultaneously. Depending on the assigned mission, the vehicle flies automatically along the pre-planned route or is controlled manually from the ground.

The data received by the ground control station can also be transferred in the real time mode to the man-portable remote terminals installed on an aircraft, a helicopter, a car, or even carried by operator. Thus, the MUAS constitutes a core data-gathering-and-processing asset, co-ordinating interaction of ground, sea-surface and aerial disaster-relief assets to eliminate consequences of emergencies.

"The appearance of new technology for emergencies elimination is the direct result of transformation of the aircraft-manufacturing enterprise into a diversified corporation," Valery Bezverhny, IRKUT Corporation vice-president said. "Today practically all corporate entities - Moscow business centre (headquarters), the Irkutsk aviation plant, B??? AIR, Beriev Aircraft company and Russian Avionics Design Bureau - are participating in a joint program on development and manufacturing of aviation suites".