The loyal-wingman drone is anticipated to be handed over to the Russian military in 2024.
January 14, 2021
Three Tu-95 bombers in air. The Okhotnik UAV accompanied a Tu-95 in a test in December 2020.
Credit: Flickr/Andrey Belenko
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Russian state media reported on January 12 that the country’s long-range Sukhoi S-70
Okhotnik (“Hunter”) drone carried out a test bombing attack against a ground target in Ashuluk range in Astrakhan. According to a source who spoke with RIA Novosti, the drone dropped 500-kilogram unguided aerial munitions. However, he reminded the outlet that this was not the first time the Okhotnik-B had destroyed ground targets in a test.
The Russian S-70 Okhotnik UCAV Struck Ground Targets With Unguided Bombs During Weapons Testing
The Russian S-70 Okhotnik UCAV Struck Ground Targets With Unguided Bombs During Weapons Testing
The S-70 Okhotnik takes off for a test flight. (Photo: Russian MoD)
In December it was also announced that the S-70 Okhotnik drone was tested in flight with captive air-to-air missiles in the fighter role
The Russian next-generation Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik (Hunter) struck some ground targets in the Ashuluk range (home of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Combat Training and Combat Application Center) in southern Russia, according to a source in the military-industrial complex cited by the Russian News Agency
Russian Stealth Attack UAV Okhotnik Drops Bombs from Internal Bay Our Bureau 3552
Russian S-70 Stealth Attack UAV Okhotnik
The Russian Stealth attack drone, S-70 released a bomb from its internal bay hitting a ground target accurately at the Ashuluk range as part of flight tests.
The S-70 drone, also called Okhotnik (“Hunter”in Russian) dropped unguided aerial bombs of 500 kilogram caliber from the inner fuselage compartment; Ria Novosti said quoting a military source.
The next round of tests will involve firing of air-to-air missiles. Test launches of combat missiles at air targets should be performed in the second half of this year, the source said
The source did not specify the type of the drone used during the trials
MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. During recent exercises, the crew of a Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber practiced in-flight guidance of an unmanned aerial vehicle from the cockpit, a Russian defense industry source told TASS on Wednesday Recently, flight trials were held to practice the interaction between a Tu-95MS and a drone. In other words, they trained to guide the drone from the plane’s cockpit, the source said, adding that the plane had been refit with special drone guidance equipment.
The source did not specify the type of the drone used during the trials. He also did not confirm that such trials ever involved the Okhotnik (Hunter) heavy strike drone, but did not rule out the possibility of such exercises in the future.
Russia Is Testing Their Own ‘Loyal Wingman’ for the Su-57 Stealth Fighter
Russia’s latest announcement seems to come as a direct response to Loyal Wingman and Skyborg.
According to reports released by Russia’s state-owned media outlet RIA, Russia’s S-70 Okhotnik (Hunter) uncrewed combat aerial vehicle recently completed its first “fighter-interceptor” exercise, in which the drone carried simulated air-to-air missiles while completing a series of test flights.
According to an unnamed source within the Russian military that was cited by RIA, these tests “will make it possible to assess the coupling of the drone’s avionics with missile guidance systems and the lead Su-57 aircraft.”