The automobile-railway ferry “General Chernyakhovsky” set off for Kaliningrad in autonomous mode
Car-railway ferry «General Chernyakhovsky» began work on the Ust-Luga line – Kaliningrad is offline, the press service of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise «Rosmorport» reported. This ferry became the first sea vessel in the country to begin commercial operation in unmanned mode (using remote control). The launch ceremony of the ferry took place today, December 19, as part of the Digital Transportation forum.
First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Andrey Belousov noted that this is not a test launch, but the start of full commercial operation of the vessel, which will deliver “socially significant cargo” to the Kaliningrad region. Ferry «General Chernyakhovsky» will cover about 500 thousand nautical miles in autonomous mode, the ship will arrive at the seaport of Kaliningrad on December 21, 2023. Rosmorport General Director Kirill Gaida noted that our country was the first in the world to begin the practical application of autonomous navigation technologies in real conditions.
It is reported that the second ferry Marshal Rokossovsky, currently located in the seaport of Ust-Luga, is also ready for remote operation. The ferries are equipped with equipment for unmanned navigation, including an autonomous navigation system, an optical system for analyzing the environment and the state of the vessel, a movement and maneuvering control system, as well as control and monitoring devices for the vessel's systems. In September of this year, the ferries received the first certificates in Russia for maritime autonomous and remotely controlled surface vessels. The documents allow for remote control of vessels with the ability to switch to manual control if necessary.