Russia needs a legion of drone 'pilots': "We already need 100,000 operators"

Correspondingly, you have to draw from a 'one by one' account. We already need 100,000 operators. As of today, this year,” he said, quoted by TASS.

The official, who described unmanned aeronautics as “an interesting, new industry, a totally new sector of the economy,” said Rosaviatsia will carry out a study to determine the exact number of operators needed for each drone.

Last June, the Russian government approved a development strategy for unmanned aviation systems that provides for the gradual increase in the production of commercial drones up to one million units per year by 2035.

In addition, it is expected that by 2036 80% of unmanned aerial systems will be Russian-made.

This program, which does not mention the creation of drones for military purposes, will allow Russia to launch companies that not only assemble these aircraft but also produce their components and the materials necessary for their manufacture, and the programs for their control.

The main objective of this strategy lies in the creation of a new branch of the economy in the next six and a half years, linked to the manufacture and use of drones for civilian use.

In the military field, Russia is not restricted to the use of foreign-made military drones, much of which comes from Iran and is used in the war in Ukraine under the Russian name “Geran”.