Economic Assessment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems For Ice Reconnaissance on the Northern Sea Route Under the Experimental Legal Regime

Oleg Sokolov; Maria Novikova

doi:10.34755/IROK.2026.41.20.091

UDC

338.47

ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS FOR ICE RECONNAISSANCE ON THE NORTHERN SEA ROUTE UNDER THE EXPERIMENTAL LEGAL REGIME Economic Assessment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems For Ice Reconnaissance on the Northern Sea Route Under the Experimental Legal Regime

АА Аа

Published in Journal of Applied Research · ELocator: 238-244 · Rubric: ECONOMICS. ECONOMIC SCIENCES.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34755/IROK.2026.41.20.091

Received: 23.07.2026 Accepted: 26.07.2026 Published: 26.07.2026

Authors

Oleg Sokolov

Maria Novikova

Oleg Sokolov

Russian Federation

Maria Novikova

Saint Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation Student

ABSTRACT

The article addresses the problem of economic assessment of unmanned aircraft systems used for ice reconnaissance along the Northern Sea Route under the experimental legal regime. The relevance of the study is determined by increasing requirements for the safety and regularity of Arctic navigation, as well as by the need to reduce costs associated with icebreaker assistance, voyage delays, suboptimal route selection, and insufficient operational ice data. The paper proposes an approach to evaluating economic effects based on a comparison between a baseline scenario of obtaining ice information and a scenario involving the use of unmanned aircraft systems. The assessment model takes into account shorter decision-making time, a lower probability of deviation from an efficient route, reduced operational losses caused by delays, and additional costs related to deployment, maintenance, and operation of the unmanned system. Special attention is paid to the influence of legal and organizational constraints of the experimental regime on the cost structure and scalability of the solution. The practical significance of the study lies in developing a methodological basis for preliminary economic justification of introducing unmanned aircraft systems into the ice reconnaissance framework and for selecting priority application scenarios for shipping companies, infrastructure operators, and Arctic logistics management bodies.

KEYWORDS

unmanned aircraft systems, UAS, ice reconnaissance, Northern Sea Route, experimental legal regime, economic assessment, Arctic logistics, efficiency, transport costs, navigational risks

Reviews

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GOST

Sokolov O. A., Novikova M. A. Economic Assessment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems For Ice Reconnaissance on the Northern Sea Route Under the Experimental Legal Regime // . 2026. 238-244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34755/IROK.2026.41.20.091. (Date of access 19.08.2026).

MLA

Oleg Sokolov, Novikova M. A.. "Economic Assessment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems For Ice Reconnaissance on the Northern Sea Route Under the Experimental Legal Regime." (2026): 238-244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34755/IROK.2026.41.20.091.

APA

Sokolov O. A., Novikova M. A. (2026). Economic Assessment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems For Ice Reconnaissance on the Northern Sea Route Under the Experimental Legal Regime. , 238-244. https://doi.org/10.34755/IROK.2026.41.20.091

Chicago

Oleg Sokolov, Novikova M. A.. "Economic Assessment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems For Ice Reconnaissance on the Northern Sea Route Under the Experimental Legal Regime." , no. (2026): 238-244. https://doi.org/10.34755/IROK.2026.41.20.091.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Sokolov O. A., Novikova M. A. | title = Economic Assessment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems For Ice Reconnaissance on the Northern Sea Route Under the Experimental Legal Regime | journal = | year = 2026 | pages = 238-244 | doi = 10.34755/IROK.2026.41.20.091 }}

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ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS FOR ICE RECONNAISSANCE ON THE NORTHERN SEA ROUTE UNDER THE EXPERIMENTAL LEGAL REGIME Economic Assessment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems For Ice Reconnaissance on the Northern Sea Route Under the Experimental Legal Regime

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