Serial production of multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the civilian market has started in St. Petersburg at the site of the North-West Regional Center of the Russian state-owned company VKO Almaz-Antey – Obukhov Plant (NWRC).
At present, preparations for the serial production of a line of multifunctional UAVs have already been completed. The first four hundred products will be assembled in November, and about a thousand drones are planned to be produced by the end of this year. The project was developed as part of a program to diversify production at enterprises of the military-industrial complex (DIC).
The development of domestic specialists was carried out according to the “quadcopter” scheme, and the most popular and convenient functionality even for a novice user was taken as the basis for the project. The production uses modern Russian materials (carbon fiber, filled polymers, etc.), as well as additive technologies are widely used, which provides the UAV with high strength, low weight and high performance. The device can be operated at strong wind loads and negative temperatures. Almost all components of the product, including the flight controller together with its software, are created and produced by the St. Petersburg enterprises of the Concern VKO Almaz-Antey.
The UAV is supplied in a waterproof case that protects the kit from mechanical impacts and provides easy storage and transportation. The delivery kit includes everything necessary for the operation of the product: the UAV itself, two domestic replaceable batteries, a tablet computer with installed software, a control panel, a kit for transferring video to a mobile device, a set of spare blades and a key for installing them, connecting cables and chargers . Moreover, it is possible to charge a domestic drone both from a conventional outlet and from a car battery, which also facilitates its operation for the user. Each case contains a product passport with quality control marks and detailed illustrated instructions for use.
By the end of the year, the launch of UAV sales is planned. Already now it is possible to place a preliminary order for the production of drones by the enterprises of the NWRC of the Almaz-Antey Concern. The preliminary cost of a complete set of UAVs is significantly lower than foreign counterparts on the market. At the same time, work has already begun to improve aircraft in order to equip them with additional capabilities. In 2023, it is planned to expand the range and increase the production of UAVs of this type.
JSC Concern VKO Almaz-Antey is one of the largest integrated associations of the Russian military-industrial complex, whose enterprises employ about 140 thousand people.