More and more clarity is emerging about how exactly Russia plans to use heavy attack drones in future armed conflicts. What role is assigned to these machines, in particular the Hunter UAV, why these devices may need artificial intelligence – and how will all this work in conjunction with the su-57 fighter?
Its "Hunter" (UAV S-70, developed by PJSC "Kopaniya Sukhoi", manufacturer-Novosibirsk aviation plant named after V. P. Chkalov) Russia doesn't advertise much. There are very few official details about the capabilities of this UAV. It is reported that there is only one flight prototype, which made its first flight on August 3, 2019. Everything else comes from guesswork and special leaks to the press from various sources.
And now – another leak, and extremely important. It is reported that at the Ashuluk test site, the Hunter was tested for the first time in the fighter-interceptor version with air – to-air missile simulators. The source explained that the flights "will allow us to evaluate the interface of avionics with missile guidance systems and the su-57 lead aircraft."
Here we must first remember the following. From the point of view of the purpose of this UAV was considered as a strike bomber (take-off weight of 20 tons allows you to carry a serious missile and bomb load), and just as a fighter, and even as a long-range aerial reconnaissance. The design of the Hunter UAV assumes equipment according to a modular scheme, which will allow you to change the payload depending on the type of combat mission. Such a filling plus almost supersonic speed (it is assumed that the S-70 will develop 1000 km / h) puts it in first place in this class of aircraft.
It is worth paying attention to the very design of the "flying wing", which does not have a vertical tail, which significantly reduces maneuverability. "The scheme of the" flying wing "in aviation itself is not fully disclosed," military expert Boris Dzherelievsky told the newspaper VZGLYAD. – The appearance of the Hunter UAV is an interesting development for new technologies, probably the same as in fighter aviation. The only caveat is the lack of a tail, which seems difficult to compensate for by changing the thrust vector of jet engines alone. In any case, this is an interesting development in a variant using a similar scheme in a drone."
And now we have received a new confirmation of the guesses that have long been expressed by experts. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Hunter UAV is designed primarily to work in conjunction with the latest Russian su-57 fighter. The manned fighter will act as a staff plane that controls a group of drones with different tasks.
Among these tasks can be reconnaissance, strikes on ground targets, and, as shown in these tests, the fight against enemy fighters. Current flights with testing the use of UAVs S-70 air – to-air missiles indicate that one of its main goals may be precisely the destruction of enemy aircraft – fighters, bombers, helicopters.
Recall the exercises of the Russian air force in the summer of this year. At that time, reports of new tests of the su-57 said that the tactics of controlling this fighter by a "pack" of su-35 fighters were being worked out. The su-57 acted again as a command and staff aircraft. Using its own data on the air situation obtained from its latest radars, the su-57 so exchanged this information with the "pack" in real time and guided its partners to various targets. We must assume that such a scheme was worked out precisely for the Hunter UAV, which will make up the air "gang" for the su-57 in the future.
The following possible tactics of using the Hunter UAV during possible future conflicts are outlined. The "staff" su-57 and its unmanned partners take off into the sky. In the direction of the enemy, first of all, UAVs are put forward. Each of these devices has its own specialization-intelligence, strikes on ground and air targets, communications, electronic suppression, and so on. The entire group exchanges information with each other and with the command post on the ground in real time, and in this it is helped by the a-50 AWACS aircraft (or the promising A-100) located in the rear. The su-57 can either open fire on the enemy itself using the target designation provided by the unmanned reconnaissance vehicle, or give the command to defeat another, shock UAV.
Moreover, some experts see a high probability that Russian UAVs of this class can be equipped with some version of artificial intelligence (AI), which will allow them to act independently. Perhaps up to the decision to use weapons. This will be the most important difference between the Hunter and Western drones.
The use of AI for Russian drones will have another advantage – in addition to the most obvious, such as greater speed of decision-making to defeat. The fact is that the most difficult task when operating a UAV operator from the ground is to provide secure, high – speed and reliable communication-and this has always been a problem in the Russian Armed forces. Artificial intelligence, acting autonomously, eliminates such difficulties. Of course, all this is just speculation, officially the possibility of using AI on the "Hunter" was not reported.
The group of heavy UAVs "Hunter "on enemy radars will most likely be completely identical to the group of conventional fighters – especially since the engines of the" Hunters " are the same as those of the su-30/57. It is on the UAV that the enemy's air defense systems will open fire, and the manned staff su-57 will remain invisible. Staying out of the affected area, the su-57 pilot will direct his unmanned partners to any target, while receiving information about the enemy.
For efficiency during air combat, the relatively clumsy (due to poor maneuverability) S-70 is primarily a convenient platform for launching relatively cheap and small, designed for close combat air – to-air missiles. The su-57, on the contrary, will carry long-range missiles. It is possible, by the way, that the "Hunter" will be able to carry not only missiles, but also small reconnaissance drones or kamikaze drones.
The most important task of the "Hunter" is to break through the enemy air defense zone. While having a relatively high effective area of dispersion (ERR), it will also be able to distract the attention of radars. It can also be assumed that the "Hunter" is supposed to install an on-Board defense system( BKO), which provides the ability to set up electronic interference.
In other words, another of the " Hunter "will be the cover of the Manager of the" air headquarters " su-57. Diverting the fire to itself. Anti-aircraft missiles should fly first of all to the UAV actively "glowing" on the radar screens and distract the enemy's attention from the most important target – the su-57 fighter or other command post. Yes, at the same time, the UAV is the first to be put under attack, but it is also a drone, in fact, a pile of metal, albeit very expensive in technical design. The loss of a pilot is perceived by society much more heavily, and is irreversible.
Of course, all these considerations are still mostly guesswork and theory. Especially given the fact that the fifth-generation su-57 fighters themselves are not so many in the Russian aerospace forces (something like ten flight prototypes), and the Hunter itself seems to exist in a single copy. It will take years before, after all the tests and improvements, the s-70 and su-57 bundle will enter service with the Russian aerospace forces.
It remains to add that the Hunter UAV, even according to official data, is not the only device of this class that is planned to be used in conjunction with the su-57 fighter. For similar tasks, another UAV, the Grom, is already being developed and has even been shown, which can also operate su-35 fighters.
Viktor Sokirko
