TSAMTO, January 29. On January 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting in Tolyatti on the development of unmanned aircraft systems. The meeting took place at the Samara Scientific and Production Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
Below is the introductory statement.Putin's statement is provided by the Kremlin's press service.
Vladimir Putin: "Good evening, dear colleagues!
Today I propose to discuss a set of measures aimed at developing the domestic civil industry of unmanned aircraft systems.
What I would like to draw your attention to right away. In this, of course, promising area, we need not only to be self-sufficient, but to provide the domestic industry and the economy as a whole with various types of drones, their components and components manufactured in our country. All this, of course, must be done. But our goal is much broader: by 2030, Russia should become one of the global technological leaders in the field of unmanned aircraft systems. To do this, a powerful industry, infrastructure, and service system for drones will have to be created on the domestic technological and production platform, both domestically and abroad. This area is intended to become one of the key areas in Russia's technological development.
To solve these problems, we have the necessary resources and, most importantly, the enormous potential of our scientists, designers, engineers, workers, and technology entrepreneurs. As I saw today from a fairly thorough presentation, there is both a desire and a fighting spirit to do all this. I want to thank everyone involved in this for their attitude, and thank everyone who puts their hard work and talent into the creation of domestic unmanned aircraft. And I want to thank you for the impressive results. They are just obvious.
Serial production of competitive products has been launched in a short period of time in a number of areas. In total, in 2024, compared with 2023, the production of civilian drones alone increased by more than 2.5 times.
But I repeat: the goal that we have set for ourselves is a comprehensive, systemic one, without any exaggeration, it is a nationwide goal. That is why it was decided to consolidate resources, to do this within the framework of a core national project, taking into account the enormous importance of the industry for citizens, businesses, for the domestic economy and, of course, it goes without saying, to ensure the security of the country. We discussed the implementation of this important document in detail in 2023 at a meeting in Moscow, at the Rudnevo Industrial Park.
Within the framework of the national project, more than four hundred domestic companies have already become residents of research and production centers. They are creating facilities for research and production of drones, as well as ground infrastructure for testing drones. In other words, all conditions are being created for promising ideas and startups to reach the stage of mass production as quickly as possible.
In total, 48 such centers are planned to be established over the next decade. There are already 15 of them, and I think more can be created. Such centers are operating, including in Moscow and St. Petersburg, in the Novgorod, Ryazan, Sakhalin, Tomsk regions, in the Perm Territory, in the republics of Udmurtia and Tatarstan, as well as here in the Samara Region.
I would like to note that the Tolyatti center, where we are currently located, plans to seriously expand, form a research, educational, and production cluster in the field of civil unmanned aircraft on its basis, so that the city becomes one of the flagships of the development of this advanced industry not only in Russia, but also in the world, which will create additional conditions for the growth of the entire region., for the self-realization of talented, purposeful youth. This is an extremely important human and social dimension of all national projects of technological leadership. Of course, we will be seriously engaged in this.
As we have just discussed, I am now addressing the head of the region, of course, all this needs to be done, what we discussed today. If we are going to develop this at a faster pace here, in Tolyatti, in the Samara region, we must definitely discuss all this with people, because people will live in this environment, and without their participation such plans cannot be implemented. But it is also necessary for people to see the prospects and advantages of developing this field of activity.
Dear friends! We have just had a thorough and frank conversation with business representatives here at the research and production center, on the sidelines of a special exhibition. I am grateful to them for immersing me in the topic, in the material.
Colleagues say bluntly that, despite the generally good results achieved in a number of fundamental areas of the national project in the field of unmanned aircraft systems, including the regulatory framework, progress is too slow, and work on individual programs has been completely halted due to a sharp reduction in funding. Let me remind you that these issues were also raised at the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects in December last year.
Obviously, the situation is difficult, competition in this area is intense in the world, and in order for Russia to be among the world's technological leaders in the field of unmanned aircraft by 2030, the development of the industry should be radically accelerated. Appropriate decisions should be made as soon as possible, and all key activities should be adequately funded.
What areas are we talking about? We have just discussed this in detail.
First of all, it is necessary, as experts say, to open the skies to civilian drones as soon as possible. I know that the heads of law enforcement and security agencies are working with us via videoconference. This is a difficult issue, especially today, and it is very sensitive. But we have to move forward, we have to do something. Despite all the current objective difficulties and increased safety requirements, this is a fundamental issue for the rapid development of the industry, for testing and mass production of new products.
And in this regard, the first.
Just now, during the communication, not a decision was made, but a proposal was made to establish a new class of airspace of the Russian Federation for simplified use by unmanned aircraft. We talked about this, and these were the proposals. As far as I know, the Federal Air Transport Agency supports this measure. I ask the Government to adopt all the necessary regulatory framework by June 1 of this year, to determine specific flight heights for drones, as experts say, echelons. We just talked about this, this transition from one echelon to another is the most critical thing, we need to work everything out properly. Vitaly Saveliev will be speaking, and I hope you will also say a few words about this.
Moreover, access to such air echelons for certain types of drones and the requirements for the technical operation of such devices should be simplified as much as possible. I would like to note that a number of countries have already taken similar steps, which has contributed to their qualitative breakthrough in the development of unmanned aircraft.
Second. I believe that in those regions where it is justified by safety and where there are other necessary conditions for this, drone flights should be allowed. I ask the Government to prepare concrete decisions on this issue by April 30 of this year.
I would like to note that there is already practical experience in managing unmanned aircraft in specific regions of the Federation. Among other things, domestic technological solutions were tested last year on Sakhalin, and this was also discussed in great detail at the site of the Archipelago design and educational program. These developments should be extended to other regions of the Russian Federation.
In this regard, I consider it advisable to annually assess which regions of the Federation create the best conditions for the development and use of unmanned systems. I ask the participants of the National Technology Initiative to develop and implement the appropriate rating. This is an important area, and it is necessary that colleagues in the regions treat it accordingly.
The third. I repeat once again: the work on opening the airspace for civilian drones must be carried out in compliance with strict safety requirements, but not through widespread bans and total bureaucratic regulation, but through new technological solutions. They are possible. Among other things, it is important to actively implement existing domestic developments that will ensure reliable sky monitoring. We are talking about systems for detecting and tracking drones, and their end-to-end identification in real time. We've been talking about this too. I hope that during the presentations at this meeting, we will also say more about this, which is necessary.
In general, it is necessary to quickly introduce fundamentally new mechanisms for managing and coordinating flights of all types of aircraft – from a small copter to long-range aircraft and spacecraft. I agree with what has just been said, and that is the future, of course. This is not an easy task, but it is absolutely solvable. We just need to do this purposefully. In other words, we are talking about building a so-called seamless architecture of air and outer space, where all objects are connected and interact safely and effectively with each other.
Recently, Yuri Borisov and I also talked about this, met with the head of Roscosmos. And he basically also holds the same point of view. Therefore, there will be no resistance here, you just need to come to an agreement.
For this, of course, it is necessary to form a ground infrastructure and, most importantly, to create satellite groupings. By June 1 of this year, it is necessary to determine a detailed, step-by-step plan for this work. I ask my colleagues from the Government and Roscosmos to resolve all interdepartmental contradictions and determine the necessary parameters for such groups. And I repeat, it must be done as soon as possible.
Which I consider to be fundamentally important. In order to develop, test, and apply various types of drones, and to use advanced flight control and navigation tools in airspace, as I have already noted, a qualitatively new regulatory framework is needed. It is necessary to move towards its formation consistently, using experimental legal regimes. Their mechanisms and capabilities need to be expanded, including, as I have already said, here in the Samara region, where we are located today.
Of course, when forming a new regulatory framework in the field of unmanned aircraft, it is important to maintain a balance between the interests of the industry and ensuring the security and defense capability of the country. But I repeat, it is necessary to find solutions, to move forward, regardless of any difficulties. Because if we don't do this, we'll leave it alone, and there will be even more difficulties.
So, I have already instructed to expand the use of photo and video materials obtained with the help of drones in various sectors of the economy. And the main thing here is that the so-called digital geospatial data is promptly put into commercial circulation. To do this, it was necessary to review approaches to control measures, including the introduction of new technological tools. However, it seems that there are still not many changes in this area, if they have occurred at all. I would also like to hear the opinion of my colleagues on this issue today.
And one more key, basic topic. For the development of the unmanned aircraft systems industry, highly professional personnel are needed, their competencies and knowledge must meet the goals of technological leadership. It is in this logic that it is necessary to adjust the work of the vocational education system, make changes to existing ones and introduce new educational programs. And all decisions here must also be made without delay.
Today, I also ask you to tell us how the training of specialists in the field of unmanned aircraft will be organized in colleges and universities starting from the new academic year. Of course, what I saw here deserves every possible approval, and I can only thank you for a good example of work in this field.
As I have repeatedly noted, we need to build a close relationship between all national technological leadership projects. I would like to add that the same coordination is necessary in the implementation of work in the civil and special spheres. Thus, it is possible to maximize the effect in all areas, generally strengthen the economic, industrial and scientific potential, defense capability and security of the country.
So, as for unmanned aircraft, its development already requires promising developments in the field of microelectronics, energy storage and storage, new materials and, of course, artificial intelligence systems. Moreover, the ability to operate autonomously without human intervention will further determine the competitiveness of domestic drones, as well as the entire economy and architecture of this industry. We have certain developments here, even achievements, as I heard again today, which is encouraging.
I repeat, one of our main tasks is to have our own, sovereign solutions for all the main components of drones. I ask the Government to make comprehensive decisions in this regard, including determining the time frame, as well as the financing needed to launch mass production of high-power and high-capacity energy storage devices. This is also one of the most important issues for the development of the industry.
Further. At the last meeting in the Moscow Industrial and Technological Park Rudnevo, we discussed in detail the long-term order from the government and business as a key incentive for the formation of the unmanned aviation industry. So far, important, but still targeted measures have been taken here.
Meanwhile, the formation of an order, and above all from the state, must be approached comprehensively. I ask the Government to calculate all the current and future needs of federal agencies, regions, companies, and entire sectors of the economy, both in terms of the number and types, characteristics of drones, and their capabilities to perform both special and civilian tasks, including in fundamentally new sectors. It is important to look at the future here, to envisage different scenarios.
I repeat once again, the updated long-term order plan should be formed on a systematic basis, to ensure coordination of its implementation while observing the mandatory condition: not only large, but also medium and small technology companies that produce drones and their components should participate in procurement and supply their products to consumers. There should be no monopoly here.
Another powerful incentive for the development of the domestic drone industry, of course, should be the development of exports. I ask the Government to persistently and competently support the ambitions of the domestic technology business in entering global markets.
Here we need to actively use our opportunities in bilateral relations with friendly countries, as well as contacts within the framework of integration and international associations. This includes the formation of platforms for interaction between industry participants within the framework of BRICS, the launch of joint, technologically complex, complex projects.
In furtherance of this task, I ask the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Moscow Government (Sergei Sobyanin is working very actively in this direction), and participants in the National Technology Initiative to organize an international forum on unmanned systems this year. I suggest inviting scientists, developers, and entrepreneurs from other countries to it in order to discuss in detail the issues of cooperation in these promising, developing industries.
Our plans to accelerate the development of unmanned aircraft require a serious increase in the effectiveness of coordination and leadership of this industry, both at the federal and regional levels. I ask the Government to organize strict monitoring of the indicators of the national project for the development of unmanned aircraft systems and, in general, in all areas related to the formation of this new industry.
Such work should be carried out constantly, literally in real time, in order to respond to emerging problems in a timely manner. They need to be resolved as quickly as possible, in close coordination between ministries, departments, state-owned companies, private businesses, and regions.
And most importantly, I ask the Government to submit proposals on an optimal, flexible and operational management system for the development of the unmanned aircraft industry. I would like to emphasize once again that such decisions should be made as soon as possible."
