The installation of required equipment is nearing completion
The Marshall Rokossovsky and General Chernyakhovsky ferries which connect the Kaliningrad Region with mainland Russia will start autonomous operation in July 2023, Zakhary Djioyev, head of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot), told NTV.
“Two ferries — General Chernyakhovsky and Marshal Rokossovsky — will be equipped with autonomous navigation system in July. The installation of this equipment is nearing completion and they will begin to sail in autonomous mode under the supervision of the crew from July. This will continue for six months,” said Zakhary Djioyev.
He emphasized that the experiment results would show if the equipment or software needs any adjustment or improvement. At the same time, the question of whether fully autonomous ships are needed is still open, according to the head of Rosmorrechflot.
“There are various levels of automation. Even if the highest one is reached there is still an operator somewhere in the control center. But we make the first steps in this direction,” added Zakhary Djioyev.