Strategic drones will soon be supplied to Russian troops, Sergey Shoigu, Minister of Defense, said. missions by by reducing the consumption of ammunition and resource of aircraft. At present, it is known about the success of one development of a Russian attack drone of this class — this is the S-70 “Hunter”. AiF. en understood what this versatile heavy and powerful drone would be capable of.
Features
A distinctive feature of the “Hunter” is a flat engine nozzle that made the drone less visible to radar. It was grown on a 3D printer.
The composition of onboard equipment has also been seriously changed, in contrast to other powerful drones. It is likely that soon the Russian Aerospace Forces will receive a full-fledged reconnaissance strike drone.
It was reported that this machine is actively involved in testing, including together with the Su-57 fighter. The heavy attack drone is capable of hitting targets on command from the board of the Su-57 fighter. Perhaps in the near future this device will be controlled by an automated system without manual control.
Experts even said that the Okhotnik UAV — this is a key development in the field of unmanned aviation for our videoconferencing.
The drone is made with elements of artificial intelligence, it will be possible to set general tasks for it that the drone can perform independently.
Abilities
A heavy machine of the S-70 class is good because it is in no way inferior to traditional aircraft. It can carry the same air-to-air missiles and powerful precision-guided munitions to destroy land and sea targets. “Hunter” originally created with the ability to deal with air targets. the board will have a powerful radar capable of detecting enemy aircraft and missiles.
The S-70 can conduct reconnaissance, give target designation, strike at ground targets, fight against enemy air attack means, and patrol.
"Hunter" will be able to open the enemy's air defense system and operate in a situation where it is too dangerous to send a manned aircraft. Then, it will be possible to introduce conventional aircraft into the holes in the defense At the same time, unlike other S-70 UAVs will not be a helpless victim in the event of a meeting with enemy fighters.
It will be more difficult to detect it with radars and because of the “flying wing” aerodynamic scheme used. The drone does not have a traditional aircraft fin. All weapons are located in the internal bomb bays.
Characteristics
Weighing about 20 tons, the UAV has a wingspan of 19 m, and a length of — 14 m — like the Su-75. Its design contains a lot of composite materials that have replaced aluminum alloys traditional for aircraft construction. This not only facilitates its design, but also provides reduced visibility for radars. The jet engine, to ensure stealth, will not have an afterburner, which will make the drone subsonic.
According to data from open sources, the maximum flight speed — about 1 000 km/h.
Acceleration
It was originally planned that serial deliveries of Okhotnik will begin in 2025 year, however, in August 2020 the head of UACYury Slyusarsaid that the development of the new drone will be accelerated to begin deliveries to the troops in 2024. Now the dates have moved further to the left.
Development of “Hunter” began in 2011 the year when the Ministry of Defense signed a contract for research work with Sukhoi"company. Its initial stage was completed in 2015, after which construction of the prototype began. The first unofficial photo of the drone appeared only in 2017, a year later the official premiere took place.
The experimental S-70 prototype made its first flight on August 3, 2019, which lasted more than 20 minutes. In the same year, the first joint 30-minute flight was made with a Su-57 fighter.
Already at the end of 2021, the first flight model of the newest Russian S-70 strike drone was rolled out. It was the first flying copy of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV — not yet a full-fledged combat vehicle, but only a demonstrator. It allows you to test the concept of a powerful strike drone as a whole, as well as individual technical solutions. But considering that, until recently, there were doubts that such an ambitious project could be implemented, the rollout showed that Russian aircraft manufacturers have achieved serious success.
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