The flight testing of the first indigenous Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle will be carried out in Russia in 2014, Lenta.ru reports.

It has been stated by the First Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia, Alexander Sukhorukov. Chief of General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Nikolay Makarov, said earlier that the flight testing of the UCAV was scheduled for late 2012.

At present there is no certainty regarding the starting date of the testing. In particular, it has been reported in mid-October 2011 after the signing of contract on development of the UCAV that the testing will be started in 2015. The UCAV is being developed by St. Petersburg-based Transas Company and Kazan-based development design office OKB Sokol.

The Ministry of Defense has approved the performance specifications for the UCAV in early April 2012. Transas will develop the guidance systems and airborne electronics for the UAVs, while Sokol will create the airframe of the UCAV. The UCAV should have modules to provide capability of on-the-spot replacement of the equipment and armament depending on the type of its mission.

The Commander-in-Chief, Alexander Zelin, has told “Moskovsky Komsomolets” earlier that the UCAVs will be put into operation by Russian air forces by 2020. The acquisition of the UCAVs is assumed by the State program in the area of arms for 2011-2020. However, Zelin has not specified the exact quantity of UCAVs to be acquired in the next 9 years.