A 7-tonne vertical takeoff drone will be able to carry 1.5-tonne payload and be based in the Arctic, Kronshtadt Group hi-tech firm Deputy CEO Nikolai Dolzhenkov said on Wednesday.

"The payload can stand at 1 tonne to 2 tonnes for a five-tonne drone, depending on missions, the continuity and the altitude of a flight, while the payload of a seven-tonne vertical takeoff machine is planned to range from 1 tonne to 1.5 tonnes (due to its specific design and its off-aerodrome basing," the deputy chief executive said.

This drone will have the ability to be based on any unequipped site, including polar regions," Dolzhenkov said.

The five-tonne drone (Fregat) will be able to take up the intermediate niche between helicopters and aircraft, featuring double transport efficiency compared to helicopters. It will be capable of flying at a speed of no less than 650 km/hr at an altitude of 7,000-8,000 meters, the deputy chief executive said.

"As for the seven-tonne flying craft, this is already an industrial configuration that is the ultimate goal. We still have to develop it, testing demonstration prototypes and models. This is a long-range program," he said.