Yakutia plans to sign deal with Rostec on using drones for mail delivery

YAKUTSK. Aug 7 (Interfax) - Yakutia has expressed its readiness to conclude a contract with Rostec on delivering mail to remote areas using drones, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov said.

"We've also built one of the first unmanned helicopters, the BAS-200. Its takeoff weight is 200 kilos and its payload is 50 kilos," Chemezov said when presenting Rostec's annual report to President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

"We tested it beyond the Arctic Circle; that is, in temperatures below 50 degrees Celsius, last December. Its performance was very impressive, and the Yakutian administration is ready to conclude a contract with us to deliver mail to remote areas in Yakutia," he said.

This delivery method could also be used in Siberia, "where transport logistics are very complicated and where delivering any mail is very difficult," he said.

"And of course, we'll also use this helicopter in the special military operation. We're currently conducting tests, and I think it could also demonstrate good performance, because a 50-kilo payload is quite good," Chemezov said.