The Russian government will allocate 100 billion rubles over the next three years for the development and production of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), as announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov at the World Defense Show international arms exhibition.
“This is one of the important areas where we will work together with the Ministry of Defense and our industrial enterprises to increase both competencies and production volumes,” said Manturov.
Last summer, the Russian government approved a strategy for the development of unmanned aviation until 2030-2035, outlining five key directions: stimulating demand for domestic models, production, developing necessary infrastructure, training personnel, and research in this field.
Experts estimate that the UAV market volume in Russia could exceed 1 million UAVs by 2035.
“The Russian market for unmanned aerial vehicles has good prospects. Demand for UAVs is growing both from the military and civilian customers. Civilian customers show great interest in using UAVs for various purposes, including aerial photography, monitoring agriculture, search and rescue operations, construction supervision, creating and updating geospatial databases, and, of course, delivering goods to hard-to-reach areas. The active development of technologies and the reduction in the cost of UAV production make them more accessible to a wide range of potential users,” explained Matvey Seleznev, an expert in the Russian defense industry.
According to the expert, the catalysts for the growth of civilian UAV aviation will be the public sector and large fuel and energy companies, which constantly monitor their facilities using UAVs. Agricultural enterprises will also increasingly use drones.
“For now, the main customer for such products is the state. Over 70% of orders come from state-owned corporations and companies fulfilling state orders. In addition, the number of major players in the market is currently insignificant. All directions reflected in the development strategy will undoubtedly contribute to the active growth of the sector, but it should be understood that colossal work lies ahead. Businesses are already actively investing in research and development of production, significant support measures from the state are necessary – and it’s not just about money,” concluded Matvey Seleznev.
With a favorable scenario, by 2030, 75% of the domestic market needs could be met by Russian manufacturers.
Photo: RIA Novosti / Pavel Lisitsyn