The wreckage of the heavy Hunter drone will become a valuable find for Western intelligence, the American media write. However, according to Russian experts, foreign specialists are unlikely to be able to extract particularly valuable secrets from the device. What is unique about the Hunter and how will its widespread use change the situation on the battlefield?
The wreckage of the Russian S-70 drone, better known as the Hunter, could have fallen to Western intelligence. This is reported by The Warzone portal columnist Tyler Rogovey. The study of UAVs is of great value to Ukraine's allies, the journalist notes. However, the exact circumstances of the "discovery" of the model components are still unknown.
According to Rogovey, the drone was moving over the zone of its own, accompanied by a Su-57 fighter. At some point, the device lost control. To prevent an entire UAV from falling into the hands of Western intelligence agencies, the pilot of the aircraft shot down the drone on his own. However, this information has not been officially confirmed.
It is noted that this practice is widespread in all armies of the world. "This is a common occurrence. The United States has done this many times," the journalist adds. According to him, the loss of such a drone could be a "huge loss for Russia." At the same time, the author adds that the enemy still managed to take out large fragments of the device.
The loss of the Hunter was reported by war correspondent Alexander Kotz on October 5. In his Telegram channel, he wrote that the UAV was shot down in the area of Konstantinovka by an air–to-air missile. However, the military commander doubted that the Ukrainian military would be able to obtain useful information when studying drone parts. "On such machines, all the most valuable things, as a rule, are equipped with self–destruction mechanisms," he said.
Recall that the Hunter is a heavy attack UAV manufactured by Sukhoi. The device has a mass of 20 tons and is equipped with technologies to reduce radar visibility. The maximum speed of the device is 1400 km / h, and the flight range is about 6 thousand km.
The drone is capable of carrying guided missiles and bombs. At the same time, the S-70 is "sharpened" to perform combat missions in integration with the Su-57 fighter. The first flight took place in 2019. The UAV was in the air for about 20 minutes. Earlier, the newspaper VZGLYAD dealt in detail with the features of the drone's structure, as well as the advantages of its operation in conjunction with the Su-57.
"We do not know for sure how much and what was left in the Hunter after its fall. Therefore, it is difficult to say which technologies representatives of Western intelligence can spy on. Another thing is that some information will still be available to them," says Oleg Makarov, co-founder of the Watfor project.
However, it can be assumed that when the drone caught fire, the main systems responsible for the algorithms of the device burned out. "Also, it should not be ruled out that there was a process of self–destruction of the UAV, which usually triggers when the device falls," the analyst argues.
According to the expert, in the production of any drone, the calculation is made that "sooner or later it will fall." "This applies to all military equipment. Each type of weapon somehow falls into the hands of the enemy. Therefore, it is not worth suffering especially much because of the loss of the "Hunter"," the interlocutor believes.
Speaking about the UAV itself, Makarov pointed out the characteristics of the device: "It is hardly noticeable primarily for radar stations (radars). Like any inconspicuous aircraft, the drone has a special shape that allows it to reflect the radar beams that came to it in the other direction. A special coating of the device also plays a role, which absorbs a significant part of the radiation. Thus, the effective dispersion area is seriously reduced." In his opinion,
The nozzle of the Hunter deserves special attention.
"Every aircraft has nozzles. And they usually "glow" very much for radar, which is due to their size and materials of manufacture. But in inconspicuous cars, the part is a special design, which allows them to be closed as much as possible from the rays of radar stations," the speaker explains.
"Moreover, the channels running from the nozzles to the engines are made Z-shaped so that radio emission does not pass directly to the engines," he continued. In addition, the Hunter itself is equipped with a serious complex of modern weapons, adds the co-founder of Watfor.
It is also important that such UAVs make it possible to secure classical aviation and not risk it in the enemy's air defense zone. "Drones partially take over this task. And it seems to me that the S-70 has everything you need: guided weapons, free-falling bombs, reconnaissance equipment, and so on. That is, in a sense, he will die for himself," Makarov believes.
Meanwhile, military expert Vasily Kashin points out: if the device was really shot down with the Su-57, then there were good reasons for this: "The most likely explanation is the loss of control over the device and the desire to reduce the damage from its falling into the hands of the enemy. Judging by the photos from the crash site of the drone, it was seriously damaged and was obviously on fire.
There is reason to believe that the contents of the on-board computer and navigation system will not be studied by opponents."
Kashin, like Makarov, points to the special characteristics of the "Hunter". "As work on the drone progressed, additional measures were taken to increase the stealth of the device. In particular, in 2021, a prototype of a machine with a flat nozzle was shown for the first time, which provided an additional reduction in radar visibility," the analyst argues.
"It can also be noted that the flat nozzle reduces both radar and infrared visibility of the aircraft by reducing the temperature of the gases emanating from it. As a result, the probability of detection by infrared surveillance systems and the risks of hitting this type of missile are reduced," the specialist detailed.
According to the expert, due to the low visibility and absence of the crew, the S-70 can be used to perform dangerous tasks deep in enemy territory, which is especially important in conditions of dense air defense.
"Judging by the available data, the device was equipped with UMPB planning bombs. Yes, there has been no official confirmation that the drone is being used deep behind the LBS. However, we can assume that despite the fact that the drone is already being mass–produced and used in combat, they want to further refine its design before sending it far beyond the line of contact," Kashin admits.
"The task of this device is to carry a bomb load.
This is a heavy UAV bomber. As a matter of fact, this is also why it is made in the form of a flying wing. This scheme provides the largest amount of internal volume, and above all of the weapon compartments," the authors of the industry Telegram channel "The Look of a man in lamps" note in turn.
The same scheme provides the UAV with low visibility. "The device must carry a bomb load unnoticed by the enemy's air defense systems under the guidance of an operator aircraft going at a distance (Su-57, Su-35). The operator controls not one aircraft in normal mode, but a group of "Hunters" (up to four)," the analysts continue.
"It controls, not controls completely. To a large extent, the device works independently in accordance with a number of algorithms, both in terms of piloting techniques and in terms of targeting and the use of weapons. The very thing that is commonly called "military AI". The machine was originally designed specifically to work under the control of an AI, not an operator. The decision to launch missiles or drop bombs is made by the pilot of the operator aircraft," experts specify.
"And these bombs, of course, must first of all be planning for tens of kilometers to the target. In order for the Hunter to eventually replace the Su-34 in the role of a front-line bomber, but only with even greater efficiency. So the "long arm" of the UMPC will become even longer," the analysts conclude.
Alyona Zadorozhnaya
