Belousov announced plans to assemble 18,000 drones in Russia

In Russia next year, 18,000 large and medium-sized drones should be produced, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Andrei Belousov said at the Archipelago 2023 in Novosibirsk.

“Let me remind you that next year we should reach a figure of about 18,000 large and medium drones. This is without taking into account drones weighing less than 1 kg, of which there will be tens of thousands, “- said Deputy Prime Minister (TASS quote).

Russia as a whole is ready for the official launch and development of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), the line of existing drones is almost complete, Belousov added. According to him, to date, all federal projects of the new national project “Unmanned Aerial Systems” have been structured.

By order Russian President Vladimir Putin, the government must approve this national project before September 1. “We have yet to work with the Ministry of Finance to identify funding sources. I hope that we will get a balanced, verified version,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

On June 28, the government approved a strategy for the development of unmanned aircraft until 2030 and for the future until 2035. The main goal of the document is the emergence over the next six and a half years of a new sector of the economy related to the production and use of civilian drones. The strategy includes five main areas: stimulating demand for domestic UAS, developing and mass-producing such systems, developing infrastructure, training personnel for unmanned aircraft, and fundamental and advanced research in the field of UAS.

In April, Putin admitted that the volume of the unmanned aircraft industry in Russia could reach 1 trillion rubles. According to Belousov, by the end of 2026 Russia will enter the production of drones in the amount of 18,000 units per year, which will cover 52% of domestic demand.