What difficulties does Russia need to overcome to become a world leader in drone technology before 2030?

Putin said that the drone industry is one of the key areas for Russia's technological development, and Russia should achieve self-sufficiency in drone production. He stated that in order to fundamentally accelerate the development of the Russian drone industry, relevant decisions must be made as soon as possible and appropriate funding must be provided for all key projects. He also opened up airspace to civilian drones, established a new drone regulatory framework, trained drone professionals, and promoted drone exports, requiring relevant departments to take effective measures. In recent years, Russia's drone industry has achieved significant success. In 2024, the production of civilian drones alone will increase by 1.5 times compared to the previous year. Russia has established 15 unmanned aerial vehicle research and production centers and plans to increase them to 48 in the next decade. However, at the same time, the progress of Russia's national drone project is not fast enough, and some projects have stalled due to a lack of funding.

What is the current development status of drone technology in Russia? At present, Russia's drone industry mainly meets the needs of special military operations, as the Russian military requires a large number of small reconnaissance drones and suicide drones for frontline operations. After several years of effort, Russia's military industrial enterprises, including some civilian enterprises, have been able to attract large-scale production of small unmanned aerial vehicles to meet the needs of frontline combat forces. However, Russia has not yet been able to fully localize some drone technology and related equipment. In terms of improving the industrial chain, Russian enterprises and related research institutions still need to continue their efforts.

Russia must make up for its own shortcomings and carry out more technological breakthroughs. In addition, Russia currently focuses more on military use in the field of drones. Without a relatively large private market and the research and development capabilities of private companies, the process of developing drones and raising funds may face increasing obstacles. Russia should still combine some drone technologies with social production activities in order to form a virtuous cycle in the development and utilization of drones.