Program of concessional financing of drones will exceed 60 billion rubles

As Kommersant found out, the volume of the preferential leasing program for drones from the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK) until 2030 could amount to 61 billion rubles, including 24 billion rubles. from the budget. With these funds, the company plans to purchase and lease 8,000 drones. The rate will be 3.5-8.5% per annum with an average lease term of three to five years. Market participants assess the conditions as favorable, but fear higher insurance prices if it becomes mandatory, as well as the extension of flight bans in the regions.

As it became known to Kommersant, the volume of investments in the program of preferential leasing of drones, which should be launched by STLC in 2024-2030, is tentatively estimated at 60.7 billion rubles. Of this amount, 24 billion rubles. will be allocated from the budget.

The model of the program, approved by the government commission on the development of the unmanned market, was sent by STLC to the Ministry of Industry and Trade last month (Kommersant has a copy of the document). Without commenting on the cost, STLC confirmed to Kommersant the main parameters, specifying that the prepared calculations are included in the passport of the federal project “Stimulating demand for domestic UAS”: “After the approval of the project passports, procedures will begin, we expect the launch at the beginning of 2024.”

The Ministry of Industry and Trade told Kommersant that a draft government act “regulating the contribution to the authorized capital of STLC” is under development, and a decision from the government budget commission is required to approve the financing. “Immediately after that, the draft act will be sent for interdepartmental approval,” they specified, adding that so far “conclusions on the amount of funding are premature.”

In general, STLC plans to purchase and lease out 8,000 devices. As specified by Kommersant in the company, we are talking about 5.5 thousand light and 2.7 thousand medium and heavy vehicles.

At the same time, 80% of the funds will be used to support demand in the segment of medium and heavy drones (from 30 kg): “Implementation of the program will cover up to 20% of the market’s needs for all types of drones, without taking into account demand from federal authorities.” According to the company’s forecast, leasing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be in demand among large agricultural enterprises, companies with long linear infrastructure facilities (energy, transport, gas and oil pipelines), forestry and fire protection, environmental monitoring and cargo delivery.

The parameters of the program say that only domestic UAVs will be able to participate in it in accordance with the requirements of the 719th government decree (see “Kommersant” of June 13). All of them must have a type certificate or at least be in the process of obtaining one before the expiration of the lease. This period for light drones will be three years, for medium and heavy ones – five.

The leasing rate for light drones for the first two years of the program will be 4% per annum, and from 2026 it will increase to 8.5%. For drones over 30kg, conditions will start at 4% and go up to 7.5%.

“Such a model was chosen based on the market development forecast and the gradual reduction of state support,” STLC clarified, emphasizing that leasing provides for a zero advance payment for the client. drones.”

The financial model, according to Kommersant, was calculated based on the fact that the Central Bank rate “does not exceed 8.5% for the period of the program.” If the parameters are met, now the proposed leasing terms are assessed by market participants as adequate. Given that drones will be taken to provide services with a high margin, a rate of up to 8% is acceptable, says Nikolai Ryashin, General Director of Rusdronoport.

But the rates are given without taking into account insurance, and Mr. Ryashin considers the risk of losing the drone to be key, since they often fall.

Pavel Kamnev, commercial director of the NTI Aeronet market company Future Laboratory Pavel Kamnev, agrees with this, who notes that there is no established practice for insurance settlement and compensation in case of such incidents. He believes that the way out could be the mandatory equipping of drones with transponders and the introduction of compulsory insurance (OSAGO) for each operator. But some of Kommersant’s interlocutors fear that if insurance becomes mandatory, it will increase in price.

At the end of the year, the instructions of the president contained recommendations to the Central Bank, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport to start creating a drone insurance system. But, according to a Kommersant source close to the Ministry of Transport, “this work has not yet been completed.” The departments and NTI Aeronet did not answer Kommersant. The issue of insurance will have to be finalized before the launch of the program, along with the problem of a shortage of personnel, said an expert from the Aeronet infrastructure center based on the Moscow State Technical University. N E. Bauman Andrey Novikov. Maintenance issues also remain: “It is important for the customer to know how the manufacturer and supplier are ready to provide such support.”

In general, market players consider heavy equipment leasing to be a more profitable and convenient tool than a direct purchase. However, experts fear complex bureaucracy in transactions. The lessor, in the absence of direct control mechanisms, as a rule, has no idea where and how the drones provided to them will be used in reality, says Nikita Danilov, founder of Fly Dron, and therefore conducts a thorough preliminary check of the counterparty, which “may cause the latter discomfort.” Also, a number of experts believe that with the extension of bans on drone flights in the regions, the demand for leasing will be very limited.

Aigul Abdullina