Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Udmurtia during his working trip to the troops of the Central Military District, where he checked the implementation of the state defence order for the production of reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by enterprises of the defence industry complex.
“Army General Sergei Shoigu inspected the production lines of UAV samples at Kalashnikov Concern enterprises, which are supplied to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation under the State Defence Order. He was informed that new workshops have been opened since 2022, which allowed to increase the production of UAVs by 60%, and in the future it is expected to increase their output by several times,” the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said in a statement.
The Russian Minister of Defence was also shown new composite materials, which reduce the conspicuity of UAVs and significantly increase their survivability.
At the leading enterprise of ZALA AERO Group of Companies, which produces Lancet barrage munitions and reconnaissance drones, the Minister was presented with new models of reconnaissance and strike UAVs, they were further developed taking into account the experience of their use in the Defence Forces.
Sergei Shoigu was also informed about the ongoing initiative developments of the company, based on algorithms for analysing and processing data in real time, advanced research in the field of data transmission channels and navigation systems. These developments will make it possible to link all the company’s products into a single system capable of independently identifying targets and hitting them without the operator’s participation.
At the Unmanned Systems enterprise, the minister was informed about the creation by the company’s specialists of a wide range of unmanned aerial vehicles of aeroplane and helicopter types with various payload variants.
“For training and advanced training of UAV operators, the company has created its own programme, which allows to master and effectively use drones in combat conditions in the shortest possible time,” the company explained to Sergei Shoigu.
During the meeting held after the inspection, the Russian Defence Minister positively assessed the work of Udmurt defence industry enterprises and noted that most of the tasks set for the enterprises a year ago have already been solved. He also set tasks for the management of the enterprises to increase the pace, quantity and quality of output by increasing the automation of production facilities.
“Now we have to move to the next stage, which is called “solving the tasks received during the special military operation zone”. Many of them are familiar to you. These are issues of relaying, control, guidance, target designation. The capacities that have been created allow us to solve most of the tasks that we are facing today. I am referring to the fight against FPV drones, as well as electronic warfare in the tactical link, and the use of artificial intelligence,” Sergei Shoigu said.
