Serial production of the Russian Korsar (Corsair) surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will start in 2017, a manufacturing firm United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC) spokesperson told Sputnik.

“Russia’s newest tactical surveillance UAVs of the Korsar tactical family will go into production in 2017,” the spokesperson said on the sidelines of the Army-2016 international military forum. The spokesperson added that in the long term the Korsar UAV family could receive a new drone that would be different from the existing UAVs by a number of characteristics.

In late 2014, the Russian army announced the expansion of its aerial fleet with a new generation of Korsar reconnaissance drones which are set to join the forces in late 2016.

The Army-2016 expo, organized by the Russian Defense Ministry, kicked off on Tuesday and is due to last through Sunday. The forum is held in the military-themed Patriot Park in Kubinka near Moscow and in a number of locations in Russia’s military districts.