"We won't be able to compete": MAI Rector names the real number of Russian drones on the market

MAI expressed concerns about the small production volumes of Russian drones

Russia uses more than 170,000 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), but only 4% of them are domestically produced, said Mikhail Pogosyan, Rector of the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), at the Aerospace Science Week international forum.

Russian drone ZALA 421-16E5

He stressed that the remaining UAVs are imported.

We will not be able to develop the market this way, we will not be able to compete in the global market
Mikhail Pogosyan

Thus, the development of the market requires people who could implement ideas, new educational programs are needed, Pogosyan believes.

Mikhail Pogosyan

In his speech, the Rector of MAI drew attention to the speed of development of UAV technologies. Since 2010, when the development of amateur devices began, there has been a major breakthrough.

Presentation by M. Pogosyan

In particular, the formation of consumer and commercial drone markets has begun. According to Pogosyan, the unmanned cargo transportation segment will actively develop in the thirties. In the future, he expects the emergence of a market for unmanned taxis and a transport system integrated with these technologies.

Earlier, the "Agency for Technological Development" stated that by 2030, 45 airports in the country will be operating drone flights. At the same time, the infrastructure necessary for cargo drones will appear in all regions of the Russian Federation.