May 16, 2025
10:01
Drone launch. Photo.
The progress in elevating Russia's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system industry to a world-class level has been quite fragmented, Denis Fedutinov of "Overview" magazine noted. This regrettable situation calls for a careful analysis of the work done and may require (even without a complete overhaul) at least some adjustment of existing mechanisms.
War as a driver of progress
The role of drones in military conflicts has steadily increased over the past decade. The idea of using drones for reconnaissance and attacks while keeping pilots/ operators out of harm's way has proven highly necessary. The United States used drones in Iraq and Afghanistan, Turkey in Syria and Libya, and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. However, it was the battlefield in Ukraine that truly saw large-scale use of drones. Many conceptual solutions have been re-examined here, with some recognized almost for the first time.Special military operations have become the main driver of growth in Russia's UAV industry. On the front lines of these operations, drones are used both as reconnaissance and surveillance tools to identify or confirm enemy targets and as attack tools — as weapons carriers or even weapons themselves ("suicide drones").
Drones have solidified their position as asymmetric weapons, enabling users to effectively counter more expensive traditional equipment — armored vehicles, rocket and artillery systems, and even parts of air power.
When will peace arrive?
Recently, there has been increasing talk about the potential end of the Ukrainian conflict. While it's hard to say how realistic this prospect is, fighting will eventually stop. This will inevitably lead to a significant reduction in the Russian military's demand for drones, which currently rank among the highest categories in terms of procurement numbers.How will the inevitable adjustment of government orders for drones affect the state of Russia's UAV industry? Giants like United Aircraft Corporation (OAK) or "Russian Helicopters" may not even notice the changes due to their involvement in other projects. Major companies whose core business is related to drones, such as Ufa Aviation Production Association (UZGA) and "Kronshtadt," might even benefit from the situation, as customers can reallocate existing resources from current tactical tasks to strategic ones, including research and development in frontier areas. However, with reduced defense ministry procurement, they will certainly need to consider how to utilize their production capacities — civilian drones could be one solution to this problem.
The difficulties in shifting focus will negatively impact small private companies. Many entered the drone field precisely because the Russian military began to attach great importance to it. Some of these companies (often referred to as part of the "civilian-military complex") initially had no connection to high-tech industries and were akin to family workshops at the level of aviation model interest groups.
However, over the past two to three years, many of these companies have successfully enhanced their professional levels, cultivated talent, established connections with users, built supply chains, expanded production capabilities, among others. It would be unreasonable not to utilize their potential at least to some extent. Meanwhile, for most of these companies currently producing drones for the frontlines, transitioning to a peacetime track will necessitate significant changes.
Drones intended for commercial tasks must be of higher quality and reliability to ensure safe operation in civilian airspace.
Civilian potential
Today, drones in the "civilian sector" are primarily used for long-distance monitoring, with up to 54% of drones serving this purpose. They replace manned aircraft and helicopters in monitoring oil and gas pipelines, high-voltage transmission lines, and other infrastructure objects. According to some data, using drones reduces grid inspection times by five times.Drones are also used for mapping and terrain modeling. For instance, a few years ago, a project to create a 3D model of the Tula region was implemented. The use of drones in surveying and cadastral work can reduce overall engineering costs by 20%.
The application potential of drones in agriculture is also high. Here, they assist in aerial monitoring of crops, identifying various risk factors, while heavier drones can spray agricultural chemicals — herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, etc.
About 19% of drones are used for air logistics — they provide rapid transport of goods in places where using other transport tools is difficult or too costly, executing routine logistics tasks.
Besides the above tasks, drones also help locate missing persons, extinguish fires, search for minerals, record traffic violations, monitor weather and environmental conditions, and participate in scientific experiments.
In general, according to current estimates, by 2035, the Russian drone market size may exceed 1 million units.
From the above examples, it can be seen that drones have already found applications in the "civilian sector," but currently, this is still an isolated case. Popularization can only be discussed in the private non-commercial sector (such as as entertainment tools).
In the commercial sector, drones are currently more of a money-consuming tool than a money-making one. The main reasons are the difficulties in certification and the lengthy process of obtaining flight permits, which often seem unreasonable and largely offset the advantages of drones.
Growth mechanism
To accelerate the development of drone aviation, the Russian government approved a plan on June 28, 2023, with a timeframe of 2030-2035. The document outlines five key directions: R&D and mass production of UAV systems, creation of large production centers, development of infrastructure, stimulating demand for drones, and cultivating talent in UAV aviation.Part of these tasks may be achieved at the federal level, while others will be realized at the regional level. For example, some regions in Russia have already launched their own UAV aviation development projects. Within these frameworks, infrastructure for various types of UAV systems is being created, including airports and drone ports, communication tools, etc. Moreover, courses for training professionals in this field are being offered.
Some regions are seriously addressing the issue of creating an industrial base to support batch production capacity for drones developed by Russian companies. For instance, the technology park in Rudnevo, a project Moscow authorities are striving to develop. Also worth mentioning is the attempt to create a drone system cluster in Tatarstan, where relevant projects are being implemented in Innopolis. Additionally, Tatarstan is constructing the "Bar" drone research and production center.
In general, if researchers can be provided with a site connected to all networks and communications under favorable and transparent conditions where they can produce the drones they develop, this will be an effective measure to support the industry. As foreign experience shows, creating specialized flight test centers is also very useful.
The federal part of the plan mainly aims to stimulate demand. In essence, this means the state will fund the procurement of UAV systems so that they can later be introduced into the national economy. The Ministry of Industry and Trade estimates that by 2030, the total volume of state civil orders (GKZ) will amount to 13,000 drones, costing nearly 188 billion rubles. Last April, the government designated State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK) as the sole supplier of UAV systems.
All of this sounds good. However, one should not jump to conclusions hastily. Investing funds in companies is the simplest form of support but also one of the least effective. A more correct approach is to focus on creating conditions conducive to R&D, production, and operations. Regarding the first part, besides incentives such as favorable terms for落户 in various science parks, tax relief could also be beneficial. Favorable loans would also be very useful — current bank interest rates are entirely detrimental to the development of this industry.
The second part involves systematic work to create favorable conditions for the use of "civilian" drones. This involves a series of interrelated infrastructure and legal issues, including visual monitoring of airborne drones (essential for ensuring flight safety for all participants), simplifying procedures related to the legalization of flights and subsequent use of photographs and videos, reducing requirements for control and maintenance personnel, etc. This part is much more complex, but without solving these problems, all other support measures will essentially be in vain.
Conclusion
Listing drones and robotic systems as one of the priority directions for technological and process development is a correct decision. It is necessary to develop those directions that can strengthen national security and have the potential to become commercially successful cases.Unfortunately, our recognition of the importance of developing the drone industry came too late. Some countries have already reaped rewards from timely investments in drones. For example, China has become the world leader in the variety of drone systems researched and developed. Turkey has become one of the most successful drone exporters in recent years.
Russia still has the opportunity to occupy a significant share of the global military drone market — the experience of special military operations helps achieve this. However, if relevant work had started earlier and been promoted more actively, this share would undoubtedly be larger. At present, the civilian drone system markets of most countries are still in their infancy. If Russia begins to widely use drones in its national economy in the near future, our R&D personnel will have excellent opportunities to achieve commercial success globally.
Returning to the UAV strategy meeting held on the "Boiling Point" platform mentioned at the beginning of this article, it can be said that finding breakthrough ideas is a worthwhile endeavor, but having ideas alone is insufficient for success. Conditions to put them into practice are also required.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7505651724527338021/
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