The Argentine government plans to build unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, for defense purposes, the government gazette reported Tuesday.

The initiative, designed "to contribute to the improvement and progress of the National Defense System," carries a price tag of 2.095 billion pesos ($238 million).

The government has approved a "contract related to the Argentine Robotic Aerial System Project," known by its Spanish acronym as SARA, and signed it between the defense ministry and state firm Invap, the gazette said.

Besides, the government has a commercial drone-building project underway in the Argentina Airplane Factory, local media said.

"The goal is to build two types of drones, class II and class III, to be used in defense and patrolling projects respectively," news website Infobae reported.

The project is expected to be completed in 54 months, including the construction of a prototype and the production phase.

"It's in the national interest to develop the high-technology industry that allows not only the supply of the local market, but also the opening of new export markets for high value-added products," the gazette said.