RYBINSK /Yaroslavl Region/, September 3. /TASS/. The combat radius of Russia's newest Korsar short-range drone is planned to be increased from 120 to 200 kilometers, CEO of the Rybinsk-based Luch design bureau, part of the Russian United Instrument-Manufacturing Corporation, Mikhail Shebakpolsky said on Thursday.

"In future, we want to increase the drone’s combat radius to 200 kilometers," he said, adding that now its radius was 120 kilometers.

The Luch design bureau plans to expand the drone’s potential so that it may be able to carry electronic warfare systems and new reconnaissance devices that will be more efficient than the existing systems, Shebakpolsky said.

The Korsar drone may become an attack vehicle, if the necessary ammunition is developed, the Luch design bureau’s CEO said, adding that such work was in progress in Russia.

The drone’s weight is about 200 kilograms, its wingspan is 6.5 meters, Shebakpolsky said. The complex is composed of several flying vehicles, a ground control post, as well as other equipment.

In a perspective, the Korsar complex may receive one more drone differing from the existing system by some characteristics, he added.

The Korsar is to become the first short-range drone produced in series in Russia, the developers said. Its main task is to monitor the battle area.

The state trials of the drone are planned to be completed in 2016. It is to be manufactured in series in 2017. Its prototype was showed at the Army-2015 forum in June this year.

It was reported earlier that Russia was working out the first drone development program aimed at coordinating the corresponding measures in the State Armament Program for 2016-2025. If the program is adopted, government institutions will receive several hundreds of Russian-made drones by 2025, the developers said.

About 320 billion rubles ($4.8 billion) is planned to be spent on the program of supplying the Russian Armed Forces with drones scheduled for the period of up to 2020, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said.