Serial production of the first Russian naval drones for the Russian armed forces is planned to begin in 2024, Mikhail Danilenko, the managing director of Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant (KMZ), told Sputnik.
"If they are successfully tested during the special military operation [in Ukraine], we plan to move to mass production in 2024," Danilenko said.
Danilenko told Sputnik earlier that the first Russian naval drones would be delivered to the Russian armed forces by the end of 2023 and tested in the zone of the special military operation in Ukraine. The drones will be able to reach a speed of up to 80 kilometers per hour (49.7 miles per hour) and have a payload of about 600 kilograms (1,322 pounds), with a cruising range of more than 200 kilometers (124 miles).