Let's take off: Putin instructed to make Russia a leader in drones by 2030th

Russia should radically accelerate the development of unmanned aviation in order to become a leader in this field by 2030. Vladimir Putin said this at a meeting during his working trip to Togliatti on January 28. He specified: within 10 years it is planned to create about 48 UAV production centers in the Russian Federation. By the way, only in 2024 in the country in 2.5 times increased the production of civilian drones. For them, the President instructed to work out the issue of "opening the sky". On the same day, he toured the largest plant AvtoVAZ, where he promised that all officials will move to domestic cars and evaluated the new model Lada Iskra. Whether cab drivers will be obliged to drive Russian cars and where a forum for the production of drones - in the material "Izvestia".

What Vladimir Putin said about the new Lada Iskra

Vladimir Putin on January 28 arrived in the Samara region - in the city of Togliatti. His work program began with a visit to the largest Russian car plant. Today, AvtoVAZ is the only company in the country working in the passenger car industry, which has the capacity to create new cars from the sketch stage to putting them into mass production. The main sites of the company are located in Togliatti (Lada Granta, Lada Vesta, Lada Niva and the flagship Lada Aura are produced here).

Here Vladimir Putin also got acquainted with the concern's novelty - a pre-production car Lada Iskra in different bodies and colors - red, white and blue.

Lada Iskra is a new family of class "B" cars, which will occupy a niche between Lada Granta and Lada Vesta. The world premiere of Lada Iskra took place on June 5, 2024 during SPIEF. The start of production is scheduled for the first half of 2025. "Very beautiful," - the president assessed the domestic car.

- It will become the property of the whole country, all fans and admirers of the LADA brand. This is something that we will definitely achieve in the near future, in the next year or two. Let's make this step together, a breakthrough step forward. Today we occupy 30% of our market, but I am sure that we have much more potential and, most importantly, we have a professional, competent team that will be able to achieve these goals and fulfill all the objectives of the development strategy of our AvtoVAZ and the entire Russian automotive industry," Maxim Sokolov, Director General of AvtoVAZ, told Izvestia.

In the base configuration of Lada Iskra will be available options such as two frontal airbags, tire pressure control, front power windows. The car is built on a modern platform, which has been re-engineered and has become technologically independent. For example, the electronic infrastructure of the model has been completely localized, and about 400 new parts have been added as part of the re-engineering. Other promising models of the Togliatti plant include the B+ Cross urban crossover and the all-wheel drive electric car e-Niva

- I see that the plant is developing, it's great. Everyone predicted the demise of AvtoVAZ, but it didn't work out," Putin said while communicating with employees. - And the development is good, labor productivity is increasing, the number of cars produced is increasing. And the models are getting better and better.

He also recalled how in August he drove a new Lada Aura during the opening of a section on the M11 highway. "I really liked it. You engage the rear gear - the camera works. Visibility is good, controllability. It's great," the head of state shared his impressions.

Aura, by the way, belongs to the business segment and is intended for traveling officials. One of the employees of the plant suggested to Vladimir Putin that not only civil servants should drive Russian cars, but also representatives of state companies, state corporations and other state enterprises, as well as employees of cab services. Vladimir Putin unequivocally promised AvtoVAZ employees that all officials will switch to domestic cars, but he has not yet given a concrete answer regarding representatives of other structures.

- As for state-owned companies. And here, of course, it is necessary to bring the matter to an end, so that everyone would switch to domestic cars. What is the problem? Because our experts in some industries still cannot decide what a car made in Russia is, how to count this level of localization. I think the Duma is also working on this. But it will be brought to an end, that's for sure. I promise you," the President explained.

Cab cars in Russia should be domestically produced, but it is necessary to strike a balance between the interests of carriers and car manufacturers, said the President. Vladimir Putin also promised that the authorities will support the export of Russian automobile industry products, and AvtoVAZ will be one of the first in this process.

Putin instructed to "open the sky" for civilian drones

After Vladimir Putin came to the plant of the Research and Production Center BAS "Samara", which was created within the framework of the national project "Unmanned Aviation Systems". Here he was shown the processes of development, assembly and testing of drones. Also, the head of state was shown the already completed C-80 copter-type vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. It will be used in agriculture to apply fertilizers and plant protection products, is capable of carrying 40 liters of liquid and treats up to 18 hectares per hour.

Among other things, Vladimir Putin inspected how the automated assembly area for electric motors works. It has become one of the first lines in Russia capable of producing up to 1 million engines for drones per year. In addition, the president toured a line of injection molding machines, where domestic plastic is poured into a mold and produces eight simple screws for drones every 45 seconds. 14 thousand screws can be produced per shift, employees of the NPC told Izvestia. Putin discussed the situation in the industry in more detail at a meeting on the development of unmanned aviation.

- In this, undoubtedly, promising area we need not just to be self-sufficient, to provide the domestic industry, the economy as a whole with various types of drones, their components and accessories produced in our country. All of 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," the President instructed.

Despite the results achieved in a number of fundamental areas, including regulatory and normative framework, the progress is too slow. Against this background, the president instructed to radically accelerate the development of the drone industry in the Russian Federation. "Relevant decisions should be made as soon as possible, all key activities should be provided with appropriate funding," Putin pointed out.

- For this purpose, a powerful industry, infrastructure and drone service system will have to be created on the domestic technological and production platform - both inside and outside the country. This sphere is to become one of the key ones in the technological development of Russia, - emphasized the head of state.

Within 10 years it is planned to create about 48 drone production centers in Russia. Now there are already 15 of them: they work in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Ryazan, Sakhalin, Tomsk regions, Perm Krai, the Republics of Udmurtia and Tatarstan, as well as in Samara region. The President also instructed to hold an international forum on drones in Moscow in 2025 with the participation of specialists and business circles from abroad.

In a few years, Russia has grown a powerful industry of unmanned aviation in the entire range of products - from agrodrones, which are produced on an industrial scale at the center in Togliatti, to reconnaissance and strike UAVs, says Alexei Zhuravlev, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee. "The country already has a national project specifically created to support this industry. It is developing rapidly, and it is expected that already in five years the Russian market of drones will grow 20 times, reaching a volume of a trillion rubles," he told Izvestia.

For example, in the Russian Federation in 2024 the production of civilian drones has increased 2.5 times: in a number of areas in a short time mass production of competitive products has been deployed.

Vladimir Putin also pointed out the need to "open the sky" for civilian drones.

- This is a complex issue, especially today, very sensitive. But we have to move forward, we have to do something. With all the current, objective difficulties, increased safety requirements, this is a fundamental issue for the advanced development of the industry, for testing and mass production of new products, - he said.

The work on opening the airspace for civilian drones should be carried out in compliance with strict safety requirements, but not through widespread bans and total bureaucratic regulation, he emphasized.

Separately, the head of state instructed the government to work out by the end of April the issue of authorizing flights for drones in those Russian regions where it would be justified from the point of view of safety. In general, the development of unmanned aviation and the correction of its legal regulation should be conducted taking into account the interests of defense and security of the country. "It is necessary to find solutions, to move forward without fail, despite any difficulties. Because if we do not do this, we will fall behind, there will be even more difficulties," the president summarized.