Flight tests of the second sample of the Hunter heavy attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a flat nozzle will begin in the summer, RIA Novosti reported on January 24, citing a source in the aircraft industry.
"Flight tests of the second sample of the Hunter are tentatively scheduled to begin in July of this year," the agency interlocutor said.
Earlier, on December 14, the journalists of The Drive noted a leap in the use of stealth technologies in Russia after the presentation of the upgraded S-70 Hunter attack drone.
According to journalists, the drone should fit into the concept of air combat in cooperation with the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter.
The roll-out of the first flight sample of the S-70 "Hunter" took place at the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant (NAZ) named after Chkalov earlier on December 14. 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.
As military expert Viktor Murakhovsky told Izvestia, the Hunter UAV is a key development in the field of unmanned aviation for the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation. According to him, the drone can conduct reconnaissance, give target designation, strike ground targets, fight enemy air attack means and patrol. The expert noted that the "Hunter" is made with elements of artificial intelligence, it will be possible to set common tasks for it, which the drone can perform independently.
It is expected that the unmanned bomber S-70 "Hunter" will enter service with the Russian army in 2024.
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.