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“Russia’s S-70 Stealth Drone: An Expensive and Futile Attempt at Military Dominance”
The ultimate drone is pure hype – Russia’s S-70 is nowhere to be seen: Praise should be given to engineers in Russia’s aerospace and defense industries.
He managed to build a drone that is nowhere to be seen – and now we have to wonder if it actually exists or if Russia has abandoned the project.
This, of course, is the S-70 Okhotnik-B, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that has been the subject of much rumor and speculation but has now seemingly disappeared.
Even its designers have gone into “radio silence,” or maybe its camouflage is so good it can’t be seen.
S-70: What we know
In theory, the S-70 Okhotnik – which means “fighter” in Russian – belongs to the same class of drones as the Dassault nEUROn and Boeing Loyal Wingman, which are now being developed to expand the capabilities of manned aircraft, specifically the fifth-generation stealth fighters.
Such drones could also significantly extend the sensor and weapon range of manned aircraft.
Large span
The S-70 Okhotnik-B is not a small drone and is said to weigh around 20 tons and have a wingspan of around 20 meters. The UAV is also believed to be powered by either a single AL-31F turbofan – the same one used on the Sukhoi Su-27 fighter – or via the upgraded AL-41F derivative found on the Su-35S -Hunters and the Su-57 is installed prototype aircraft.
It has a total range of 6,000 km and a combat range of 4,000 km. The UAS also has two internal weapon bays that can hold up to 2,000 kg of guided and unguided ammunition.
Loyal wingman
According to reports from Russian state media, the S-70 will operate as the loyal wingman of the Sukhoi Su-57 jet (NATO reporting name “Felon”), with one fighter piloting up to four of the UAVs. The drones could have a range of up to 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles).
test flights
The S-70 only performed its maiden flight on August 3, 2019, which lasted just over 20 minutes under the control of one operator. On September 27, 2019, the drone participated in a second more than 30-minute test flight, during which the drone accompanied a fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet. The drone maneuvered in automated mode at a height of around 1,600 meters in the air. Work on the drone should be completed this summer, with the goal of starting serial production of the S-70 Oknotnik-B early next year.
The Okhotnik-B is about whether Moscow has the resources to actually continue its development and produce the drone in significant numbers. Series deliveries should begin next year, but to this day it’s unclear how many prototypes or pre-series models were built.
Sanctions may have grounded the S-70
Because of sanctions imposed on Moscow after it launched its unprovoked and utterly unwarranted invasion of Ukraine last year, Moscow has struggled to acquire the computer chips and other advanced components for much of its military equipment — and the problem has been reports According to last year, microchips from refrigerators and dishwashers were repurposed and used in some tanks and armored vehicles.
Until this issue is resolved, the S-70 has likely been shelved.
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Experience and expertise of the author: Peter Suciu, Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is a Michigan-based writer. In his twenty-year career as a journalist, he has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites, publishing over 3,200 articles. He writes regularly on military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
Source: www.19fortyfive.com
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