President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, during his appearance on the Direct Line program, emphasized the strategic importance of developing unmanned aerial systems in both military and civilian spheres. According to him, Russia is already considered one of the world leaders in the field of drones, and further strengthening this position is a priority for the state.
The head of state paid special attention to the issue of providing the Armed Forces with modern UAVs.
The task of increasing the number of drones will be solved. Minister of Defense Andrei Belousov personally oversees this issue and pays close attention to it.
The President also announced significant support for domestic developers and engineers – "modern Kulibins." The country has a developed system of grant support aimed at accelerating innovation in the field of unmanned technologies. The authorities intend to expand this practice.
Special emphasis on the development of unmanned systems was placed on public participation.
Entrepreneurs and citizens jointly raised 83 billion rubles for the development and purchase of drones for defense needs.
Putin thanked all participants in the initiative for their contribution to the country's technological sovereignty.
At the same time, the President noted that, despite the quantitative achievements, there are still not enough heavy unmanned platforms in the arsenal, such as "Baba Yaga" – a complex that demonstrates high efficiency in combat conditions.
One of the key areas of industry development, according to Putin, is the "dual use" of technologies: in his opinion, true leadership in the field of UAVs is confirmed when developments from the military sector are successfully adapted to civilian needs, and then, after undergoing a cycle of improvement in the commercial segment, return to the defense industry.
In the civilian sphere, drones are actively being introduced into logistics: the delivery of medicines, mail, food and other goods using drones is becoming a reality and is becoming increasingly widespread, especially in remote regions of the country.
It is noted that Russia is already planning to start developing unmanned transport systems of heavy class with a carrying capacity of over 100 kg. The platforms will be used by the military, and in the future by civilian employees.
