President Putin Wants Russia To Be The Leader Of The 2030 Unmanned Aviation System Technology

President Putin visited the Special Technology Center. (Source: TASS/Valery Sharifulin)

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin has determined that Russia must strengthen itself with technology leaders in the field of unmanned aviation by 2030.

"The Russian government, taking into account the directives issued earlier, will ensure the acceleration of the development of the unmanned aviation industry to achieve technology leadership in this area by 2030," read a statement on the presidential instruction list published on the Kremlin's official website, as reported by TASS March 21.

"The government must set specific target indicators that characterize the leadership and allocate funds for related initiatives," he continued.

Furthermore, the Russian president expects an initial report on June 1, followed by a subsequent update every six months.

President Putin also ordered to take steps that provide the use of artificial intelligence-based solutions in the manufacture and operation of unmanned aircraft.

The Russian government is tasked with carrying out this work together with the National Technology Initiative Platform and Sber. The assignment was given "for the purpose of increasing the independence of unmanned aerial vehicles."

Last September, President Putin visited the Special Technology Center (STC) in St. Petersburg, a supplier of unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare systems, and communication systems, as quoted from the Kremlin website.

On that occasion, President Putin visited a robotic system exhibition supplied by the Ministry of Defense and the Popular Front. In particular, President Putin was shown a tracked platform, kamikaze unmanned aircraft, reconnaissance systems with unmanned aerial vehicles, and a roaming ammunition exhibition.

The center, which was founded in 2001, has a full-cycle production base, ranging from experimental design work to serial production, commissioning (testing and system inspection), maintenance, and product repair.

The STC signature series is a unique multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicle of the Orlan family, the most popular in the world in its class.

The STC has also developed small spacecraft such as CubeSat and propulsion systems since 2021. Products from this company have also been used in combat, including the special military operations zone (Ukraine).