Findings on Russia’s crashed S-70 Okhotnik stealth drone

Ukrainians analyze rubble
New details on Russia’s downed S-70 giant drone

Listen to article

This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback

A new type of Russian drone crashed in Ukraine over the weekend. According to Moscow, the S-70 Okhotnik has modern systems and stealth technology. However, according to a report, an initial analysis of the rubble reveals a different picture.

On Saturday, a rare prototype of the Russian S-70 Okhotnik (in German: Hunter) stealth drone crashed in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. Apparently the unmanned combat aircraft previously dropped glide bombs on Ukrainian positions and was then knocked out of the sky by friendly fire. Now the pro-Ukrainian portal Defense-Blog presents new information about the incident, citing Ukrainian sources.

Accordingly, the S-70, accompanied by a manned Su-57 fighter jet, took off for a test flight from the southern Russian Akhtubinsk air base, which is located around 585 kilometers from the front. The mission was part of experimental testing with the aim of testing the drone’s capabilities in real combat situations. However, due to a technical malfunction, the S-70 lost contact with the ground personnel and ended up over Ukrainian territory. According to intercepted radio messages, panic broke out among those responsible. Ultimately, the Su-57 pilot was given the order to destroy the drone with an air-to-air missile.

The S-70 then crashed in the town of Kostiantynwika, about 16 kilometers from the front. The rubble was recovered by the Ukrainian military. Initial assessments apparently raise doubts about Russia’s claims about the drone’s modern capabilities. The shot down specimen does not appear to have the stealth technology and control systems based on artificial intelligence touted by Moscow.

“It’s more like a glider”

“This is not an advanced combat drone,” said a Ukrainian defense expert quoted by Defense-Blog. “It’s more like a glider equipped with basic capabilities and radio controls.” Instead of using a tactical data connection, such as the Link 16 service used by NATO, the drone relies on a simple radio connection for control.

An S-70 accompanied by a Su-57 during a test flight in 2019. An S-70 accompanied by a Su-57 during a test flight in 2019.

An S-70 accompanied by a Su-57 during a test flight in 2019.

(Photo: imago images/ITAR-TASS)

The first images of the S-70 Okhotnik appeared in August 2019. According to the Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi, the flying wing aircraft will have an anti-radar coating and will accompany and support Russian fighter jets in combat. According to the information, series production of the S-70 is scheduled to start in the second half of 2024.

Forbes estimates that Russia currently has fewer than a handful of S-70s. The US magazine assumes that Moscow wants to use the drone as a bomber in the future. Currently, around 100 Su-34 jets are busy dropping around 3,000 glide bombs on Ukrainian territory every month. However, Kiev’s air defense has shot down at least 29 Su-34s since spring 2022, which is why Russia has to make up for its losses.

source site-34