It will take at least four years to build a flying prototype of the Orion-2 (production name Sirius) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the chief designer of Kronshtadt Group, Nikolai Dolzhenkov, has told TASS.

"It will take at least four years to transform this into a flying prototype," Dolzhenkov said.

The official described the future UAV as a "monitoring drone to observe vast areas for a long period of time in the optical, infra-red and radar bands."

So far, the company is running this project on its own initiative, but the Russian Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and the Emergency Situations Ministry may find the prospective aircraft useful in the future, Dolzhenkov suggested.

Along with other projects, St. Petersburg-based Kronshtadt Group is designing long-endurance and off-aerodrome UAVs and on-board equipment.

One of its projects is the Orion aerial reconnaissance system - an unmanned aerial vehicle with a maximum takeoff weight of 1 ton, and maximum payload of 200 kg. Its ceiling is 7.5 km; maximum flight endurance with a standard load is 24 hours, and a horizontal flight speed is 200 km/h.