Hi-tech airships heralded as the future of transport in the region

A new generation of futuristic airships could be taking to the skies above Siberia and the Far East as part of transport and travel revolution in the regions.

The Defence Ministry has already said it plans to use the 130-metre-long Atlant, which mixes together technology from planes, helicopters, hovercraft and airships.

But with the promise of it being cheaper to build than aircraft and more economical to operate, it could become the workhorse of the transport network in rural areas.

Oil and gas operators in the Far East have expressed an interest in using the 21stcentury hybrid blimp to carry payloads and ferry personnel around.

The Atlant could replace planes and helicopters for day-to-day travel around remote Siberian regions, both for commuters and tourism, and there is speculation they could also be used to monitor natural disasters or help put out wildfires.

And in a further boost for the area, it is likely a special base for the airships will be built in Yakutia when they become operational from 2018.

Work is already underway to create the first prototype of the Atlant airship, which will be able to carry as many as 200 passengers or 60 tonnes of cargo.

It will be able to fly at speeds of up to 170km per hour and, equipped with high-precision computers, it will be capable of taking off and landing without a runway.

The airship’s manufacturers, Augur RosAeroSystems, said the first phase of development work will be completed by December, with tests taking place on a prototype after that.

Mikhail Talesnikov, the vice-president of the firm, said the Atlant will be 'unique'.

'It uses different principles of flight,' he said. 'In short, it retains the advantages of airships but is cured of their primary problems. During the unloading of the weight at the point of arrival, for instance, the airship will be able to get heavier via controls without needing ballast. In that way it will not get weightless after unloading and will not soar into the stratosphere.

'We also came up with the decision to make the airship harder by using special balancing system (SAB). It also has a hard shell. Not a frame faced by cloth, but a composite body. It is an innovative solution and this system is unique, nowhere abroad do they have that.'

Computer-generated images show the Atlant’s design but very few details of how it will operate have been released. It has two small wings at the rear and a large viewing window at the front, presumably both for the flight crew and passengers.

It is being designed to withstand temperatures of -40C, meaning it is ideal for day-to-day operations in Siberia and the Far East even in the depths of winter.

Mr Talesnikov said that the Atlant is cheaper to fly than helicopters, with the added advantage that it can carry far more people and cargo. With the high cost of manoeuvring personnel and equipment around remote regions – for the likes of oil and gas works at Yamal and the Arctic, for instance – the airship would make a welcome addition.

Two years ago Vitaly Basygov, the speaker of the Yakut parliament, first spoke about the idea of using the Atlant across the Sakha Republic.

He said: 'We make extraordinary efforts to deliver goods and ensure the transfer of people, and our economy cannot withstand transportation with airplanes. I think it's time to look at the airships with fresh eyes.

'The opportunities of traditional local aviation, using the car and the river and rail transport are limited. Therefore, we must look for new ways to ensure the availability of transport across the territory of Yakutia. We can use airships to solve this difficult problem.

'Airships are highly resistant to weather and landing conditions, are easier to fly and land than airplanes and helicopters. There is also no need for airfields with long runways.

'All these features can compensate for the slow speed of airships.'

Two different models will be created: the Atlant-100, which will be 130 metres long and able to fly at 140kph, and the smaller 75-metre-long version, the Atlant-30, which will be able to carry a 16 tonne payload at speeds of about 170kph.

There is speculation the Russian military aims to use the blimp at border points, such as to control drug trafficking.