The rollout of the first flight model of the newest Russian strike drone S-70 suggests that the aircraft manufacturers of the Russian Federation have achieved serious success in the Hunter program. This was announced on Tuesday, December 14, by the military observer of Izvestia, Alexey Ramm.
"Currently, Russia already has one flying copy of the S-70 Hunter drone. This machine is actively involved in testing, including in conjunction with the Su-57 fighter," he said.
At the same time, according to Ramm, by and large, this is not a full-fledged combat vehicle, but only a demonstrator. It allows you to test the whole concept of a powerful strike drone, as well as individual technical solutions. In addition, until recently there were doubts that such an ambitious project would be implemented, he added.
"But the rollout of the updated version of the S-70 suggests that Russian aircraft manufacturers have achieved serious success in the Hunter program. The new version of the drone received a flat nozzle, invisible to radars. Also, apparently, the composition of the on-board equipment has been seriously changed. Therefore, it can be argued that in the near future the Russian Aerospace Forces will receive a full-fledged strike-reconnaissance drone," the military observer concluded.
Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko announced that the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant (NAZ) named after Chkalov had rolled out the C-70 Hunter. According to him, it fixes the completion of the assembly. The sample is fully equipped with the necessary equipment and is preparing to work out its first flight.
This is the first instance of a drone equipped with a flat jet nozzle. The drone is distinguished by the fact that it is extremely difficult to notice by radar methods. It is expected that the unmanned bomber S-70 "Hunter" will enter service with the Russian army only from 2024.
In February, test pilot Evgeny Frolov spoke about the characteristics of the S-70 Hunter drone. He noted that the heavy strike drone is capable of hitting targets on command from the Su-57 fighter. According to him, in the near future this device will be controlled by an automated system without manual control.
On August 3, 2019, the experimental C-70 made its first flight, which lasted more than 20 minutes. In the same year, the first joint 30-minute flight with the Su-57 fighter was performed.
The Su-57 (formerly known as PAK FA) is a fifth-generation multifunctional Russian fighter, its purpose is to destroy all types of air, ground and surface targets. Designed to replace the Su-27 heavy fighter in the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). The Su-57 made its first flight on January 29, 2010.
