Application prospects for unmanned transport ships in the seas of the Russian Arctic Basin

The paper considers the idea of automation of sea transport ships, including unmanned ones. The study necessity is the importance of sea traffic safety, especially in view of navigation in the Northern seas of the Russian Federation. Economic efficiency is analyzed in terms of reducing operating costs and freeing up additional space on the ship for cargo placement. An assessment of the prospects for the use of unmanned ships in the seas of the Arctic Basin of the Russian Federation is performed. The research uses the following methods: analogies to determine some common technical solutions, abstraction to assess the prospects for using unmanned vessels for cargo transportation in the seas of the Arctic Basin of the Russian Federation at the theoretical level, and a hypothetical method for the usage in determining the criteria and requirements of international and Russian legislation for commissioning unmanned ships. The main obtained results are the following. The analysis of both foreign and Russian projects of autonomous ships of various types and remote control systems is performed; the elements and entities of the control system of an autonomous ship are defined; the system of automation levels is described; the existing regulatory framework is analyzed to ensure sea traffic safety, and the proposals for its adjustment are made.