The S-70 Okhotnik unmanned combat aircraft conducted the first ground attack trial recently, a source from RIA Novosti revealed.
The stealth drone developed by Sukhoi is expected to be used in joint missions with the 5th gen Su-57 fighter. Not coincidentally, the test against ground targets was carried out with prescision-guided munitions (PGMs) that are part of the ‘Felon’ arsenal.
The Russian news agency did not detail what type of weaponry was tested but for Jane’s it was possibly the Kh-59MK2 cruise missile. According to the outlet’s source, the series of releases was successful. Okhotnik had already tested unguided weapons like free-fall bombs last year.
The S-70 has the shape of a flying wing which, together with radar wave absorbing materials, provides stealth capability to the aircraft. One of the points that drew attention when the Okhotnik was unveiled, the engine exhaust was changed by Sukhoi to a format that reduces heat emission and does not include the afterburner.
Weighing over 20 tons, the UCAV is 14 meters long and has a wingspan of 19 meters. According to the chief executive of Rostec, a state-owned Russian technology company, the Okhotnik will begin series production in 2023.
